Podcasts about yolandra hancock

Gerald Horne, professor of history at the University of Houston, author, historian, and researcher, joins me to discuss the crisis in Ukraine. The diplomatic meeting between Antony Blinken and Sergey Lavrov has been canceled. Also, we compare the current crisis in Ukraine to the NATO military attacks and border restructuring in Serbia, Yugoslavia, and Kosovo.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins me to discuss covid. Vaccine protection against the omicron variant was much weaker than previous variants. Also, there seems to be a significant number of people experiencing heart problems as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.KJ Noh, activist, writer, and teacher, joins me to discuss China. The US Empire is working to subordinate Europe and freeze its economic partnership with the new Eurasian superpowers. Also, China is expressing support for Russia during the standoff with NATO. China argues that the collective West should pay attention to Russia's demands for border security and work through diplomatic channels to resolve these issues.Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, joins me to discuss the assault on independent journalism in the West. Craig Murray is going back to court to address the distinction made between independent and traditional journalists during his trial. Also, Marine Le Pen has suspended her presidential bid.Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins me to discuss NATO. Scott talks about the current crisis of security interests between the US empire and numerous members of NATO. Is the current crisis a signal that NATO is becoming a public relations nightmare that has outlived its usefulness?Ajamu Baraka, former vice presidential candidate for the Green Party, joins me to discuss how the Ukraine crisis fits into the US empire's imperialist order. Ajamu argues that "the US empire's manufactured crisis in Ukraine cannot be separated from the drive for full spectrum dominance."Robert Fantina, journalist and Palestine activist, joins me to discuss preventative detention. Our guest discusses the use of rules allowing detention without trial or adjudication throughout the US empire and its various vassal states.Steve Ellner, an American scholar, retired professor at the Universidad de Oriente, Venezuela, and author of 12 books including his latest, entitled "Latin American Extractivism," joins me to discuss the Global South. Venezuela joins Cuba in formally announcing its support for Haiti in its quest to shake free from imperial control. Also, Juan Guaido's political support has crumbled as 100 members of his party have quit.

Caleb Maupin, journalist and political analyst, joins us to review the important stories for the week. President Biden has pledged to bring the US Empire into the war in Yemen on behalf of Saudi Arabia. Also, the US continues to push the trope that Russia is about to invade Ukraine, and Liz Truss makes a fool of herself and embarrasses her country in Moscow. Jack Rasmus, professor in economics and politics at St. Mary's College in California, joins us to discuss the economy. The weekly jobless numbers are in, as another 223,000 individuals filed claims last week. Also, inflation is squeezing the White House as the Fed may be poised to raise interest rates, and the US contemplates selling another $2.5 billion in weapons to Egypt. Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss health. Developmental milestones have changed for the first time in many years. Also, we discuss the dropping of mask mandates and the politics of covid measures. Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "The Velvet Coup: The Constitution, the Supreme Court and the Decline of American Democracy," and Jim Kavanagh, writer at thepolemicist.net and CounterPunch and the author of "The American Farce Unravels: Shreds of January 6th," join us to discuss this week's important stories. We discuss the relationship between the US empire and its vassal states in Europe. Also, we discuss the US media as a weapon of mass destruction, the Canada Freedom Convoy, and the mediocrity of the UK and its representatives. Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, and Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, join us to discuss international politics. NATO continues to predict a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Also, we discuss President Biden's options in Ukraine, CIA bulk surveillance programs, and the Liz Truss debacle in Moscow.

Dr. David Oualaalou (WAH-LAH-LU), author and international security analyst, joins us to discuss the NATO crisis. A recent op-ed by Professor Sergey Karaganov argues that the current security infrastructure in Europe is unsustainable and that the EU should work with Russia to build a viable system "on the ruins of the present."Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss covid. A number of states that are controlled by Democratic Party governors and legislatures are relaxing covid measures. Also, the CDC is about to roll out 10 million doses of vaccines for young children.Jim Kavanagh, writer at thepolemicist.net and Counter Punch, joins us to discuss the Canada freedom convoy. The truckers freedom convoy in Canada is starting to have real world consequences as auto plants are shutting down due to the supply chain disruption. Also, some Canadian provinces are relaxing covid measures and Ottawa tow truck owners are refusing to tow trucks participating in the protest.Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at University of Missouri- Kansas City, joins us to discuss the current crime wave in the US. Homicide rates are skyrocketing in US cities as some politicians see room for improvement in 2022. Also, police shootings dramatically increased in 2021 and our guest discusses the government's reliance on state-sanctioned violence.James Carey, writer, activist, and podcaster, joins us to discuss the Middle East. The US sanctions on Syria are making life unbearable for many citizens. Also, many Middle Eastern nations are turning to Russia and China to balance their international relationships.Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "America's Undeclared War," joins us to discuss Ukraine. Ukrainian leadership is splitting from the Biden team on the subject of a Russian invasion. Also, the White House is mulling more sanctions against Russia and dangerous Nazis are running amuck in Ukraine.Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss drones. Some US members of Congress are discussing whether they have the need and power to address the problems associated with civilian deaths from US drone attacks.Nicholas Davies, peace activist and author of "Blood on Our Hands: The American Invasion of Iraq," joins us to discuss the US war budget. The US just approved a $70 million missile sale to Jordan, and Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) details why he wants to kill a $2.5 billion arms sale to Egypt.

Robert Prokop, author and retired intelligence analyst for the US Department of Defense specializing in the Soviet Union, joins us to discuss the EU/Russia border crisis. Russia has said that it will formulate its response to its security demands once it receives the written response from the US. Also, French President Emmanuel Macron is set to share his vision for a path to de-escalation regarding the crisis on Russia's western border.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss covid. Several studies seem to show immune system problems arising from multiple boosters. Also, Pfizer and other companies are now creating omicron-specific vaccines. Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss Iran. Neocon hawks in DC are restarting their campaign for a disastrous war with Iran. Also, we discuss the issues that are creating a difficult environment for the US to return to the deal in a manner that Iran accepts as fair and reasonable.KJ Noh, activist, writer, and teacher, joins us to discuss China. President Xi Jinping will chair a summit marking 30 years of China's ties with other central Asian nations. Also, there has been an accident in which a F35C fighter crashed in the South China Sea.Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss Ukraine. There are multiple reports that Kiev is preparing for an all-out assault on Eastern Ukraine. Also, the CIA may be training Ukrainian Nazis for European terrorist missions.John Burris, civil rights attorney, joins us to discuss the SCOTUS. The Supreme Court is set to review race-conscious university admission policies.Leo Flores, Latin America coordinator for Code Pink, joins us to discuss Venezuela. Venezuela has doubled its oil production with Iran's assistance. Also, Russia's ambassador to Venezuela has stated that Juan Guaido does not represent anyone. Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "America's Undeclared War," joins us to discuss NATO as an international tool for US hegemony. The article we review argues that NATO is simply a tool of US armed supremacy and that the expansion of the organization into the China/US adversarial conflict, along with its actions in the Global South, is strong evidence to support that theory.

Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss Kazakhstan. Multilateral peacekeeping forces have begun arriving in Kazakhstan to stop the violent uprisings and stabilize the situation. The troops include security and protection for Russia's space center and related facilities.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss COVID-19. A critical increase in Omicron infections is having a dramatic impact on the economy as many businesses are unable to field enough employees to operate. Ajamu Baraka, 2016 US vice presidential candidate for the Green Party, joins us to discuss Ukraine. Baraka explains the situation in Ukraine, and argues that those who desire peace should be motivated to try and halt this potentially extinction-level disaster foisted upon the world by the Biden administration. George Koo, journalist, social activist, and international business consultant, joins us to discuss Asia. In another move to increase tension in the Asia Pacific region, Japan and Australia have signed a defense treaty that will allow their militaries to enter and leave each other's nations with much less effort. Also, North Korea began the year with another missile test.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, joins us to discuss the Middle East. For the third day in a row, US bases came under attack in Iraq. While no one was injured, it appears that 2022 will be a year of continuous attacks against US troops in Iraq and Syria.Leo Flores, Latin America coordinator for Code Pink, joins us to discuss the Global South. The neoliberal economic model in Brazil is producing miserable working conditions and pay for most workers. Therefore, it appears that the nation will follow the rest of the continent in a leftward direction when, and if, former leader Lula De Silva is swept back into office.Nick Davies, peace activist and author of "Blood on Our Hands: The American Invasion of Iraq," joins us to discuss the Pentagon budget. William Hartung writes about many of the issues that are created by selling weapons to despotic regimes. He explains why these moves undermine US security interests worldwide.Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "America's Undeclared War," joins us to discuss the upcoming meeting between US and Russian diplomats regarding Russia's security demands.

Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss Russia. Reports say Russia "is not bluffing by putting forward the security safeguard proposals on a part of NATO and the US and will make every effort to facilitate the West's awareness of it, " according to Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov. Also, President Putin suggested repercussions could be possible, warning that he could take “adequate military-technical measures” if NATO continues its “aggressive” course “on the threshold of our home.”Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, joins us to discuss Ukraine. Ray has an article entitled, "Washington Prepares to Fail in Ukraine," which talks about the US's refusal to acknowledge Russia's vital strategic interest in Ukraine. It also discusses Washington's plans to subject Ukraine and the NATO alliance to "a dangerous and unnecessary test by confronting Russian conventional military power."Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss covid. Dr. Hancock points to the frightening number of people around the country aggressively lashing out in response to policies they dislike regarding Covid. She also discusses The Federal Aviation Administration's 1,000 + investigations into unruly passenger incidents this year, more than five times as many as in all of 2020. Patricio Zamorano, political analyst and Director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, COHA.org, joins us to discuss Chile. Marco Teruggi penned an article for the Orinco Tribune, talking about the expected results of the new progressive government saying that the expectation of Chileans is "that not only things will change in their country, but also the integration with their neighbors and the continent."Obi Egbuna, activist and US Rep for The Zimbabwean Newspapers, joins us to discuss Ethiopia. Since the federal government forces of Ethiopia cornered the TPLF back into Tigray state, the US-backed TPLF has asked for peace negotiations. In return, the Ethiopian government has called for the abolishment of the TPLF as well as the surrender of its leadership. Miko Peled, author and activist, joins us to discuss the Middle East. This past Sunday, Israel's government approved a $317m plan to double the Jewish settler population in the occupied Golan Heights of Syria.Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss the military. He discusses an article in Responsible Statecraft that exposes the gap between the US military's reputation and its actual performance in the post 9/11 wars.John Kiriakou, journalist, author, and host of The Back Story, joins us to discuss his article titled, "Those Nasty Russians." In it, Kiriakou discusses the recent New York Times article that claims Moscow is preparing its public for a potential war in Russia. Kiriakou shows why these claims are preposterous, refuting the Times' claims that Russia had already “massed troops on the border with Ukraine,” a lie that has been perpetuated in the mainstream media all across the United States.

Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss Biden's new plan to battle the Omicron variant as it sweeps the nation and has people on their toes as we officially enter the winter season. We talk about the plan to distribute 500 million tests by next month and whether this timeline will be sufficient to make a dent in the spread of the virus. We also talk about how workers are not being financially protected by temporary closures of businesses during this spike after emergency assistance was discontinued a few months ago, and how this may lead to people taking more risks to ensure their financial needs, further worsening the spread. Dr. Caroline Light, is a professor and researcher at Harvard University specializing in gender, critical race and ethnic studies, and author of "Stand Your Ground: A History of America's Love Affair with Lethal Self Defense.” Michael Harriot is a senior writer at TheRoot.com, where he covers the intersection of race, politics, and culture. They both join us to talk about the case of DJ Broadus, who was killed by Gardner Fraser in Florida in February 2018 after being shot four times at close range, twice after he had fallen to the ground, and how Fraser was not charged with homicide due to “stand your ground” laws in place in that state. We talk about the evolution of these laws, the intersection of class and race in these cases, and what could be done to change them.Ray Baker, political analyst and professor at Towson University, and Nookie Bishop, host of the Digital Gumbo Podcast, join hosts Michelle Witte and Bob Schlehuber to talk about the legal maneuvers the Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department is engaged in to keep its officers of their force who have been charged with misconduct, DUIs, domestic abuse, and indecent exposure. We also talk about Kamala Harris's exchange with Charlamagne tha God and the ensuing meltdown, the end of the Kellogg's strike and how people are praising it as a huge win for workers, and the Democrats' indifference to the failure of the passage of the “Build Back Better” plan.

Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss the crisis in Eastern Europe. A recent poll shows that 73 percent of Americans prefer that their leaders prioritize domestic policy over foreign adventurism. Russian President Putin states that the US can't be trusted to keep its commitments.Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, joins us to discuss economics. There is a considerable amount of dissent coming from the left flank of the Democratic Party now that the "Build Back Better" legislation has died. Also, we discuss the problems in the supply chain and inflation.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss covid. Recent reports claim that the omicron variant has become the dominant variant in the US in a matter of weeks, and New York is reportedly considering a lockdown. Also, reports from India say that the symptoms of the new variant are mild. Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, joins us to discuss potential food shortages on the horizon. Rising food prices due to inflation are predicted to continue on an upward trajectory. Alan Macleod's Mint Press news article argues that the rise of food prices will increase and likely contribute to political destabilization and social violence.George Koo, journalist, social activist, and international business consultant, joins us to discuss China. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken embarked on a trip to Asia to drum up support for the US hybrid war on China, and Presidents Putin and Xi are working to bypass the SWIFT payment system. Also, The New York Times is trying to cover up its misinformation on Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai.Robert Fantina, journalist and Palestine activist, joins us to discuss civilian deaths from the US military. Norman Solomon argues that the Pentagon has never shown concern for civilian deaths. He continues to talk about the lack of concern for US civilians demonstrated by the US budget prioritizing military spending over social programs.Teri Matson, Latin American coordinator for CodePink, joins us to discuss the Global South. Chile's election has demonstrated a pattern of left-leaning anti-imperialist movements taking over in the Global South. Also, the UK steals Venezuela's gold and gives it to Juan Guaido.KJ Noh, activist, writer, and teacher, joins us to discuss the Russia-China strategic partnership. An interesting article on "The Saker" website discusses the partnership between the European and Asian superpowers and how they may use their combined strength to blunt malignant US hegemony.

Dan Lazare, author, investigative journalist, and author of "America's Undeclared War," joins us to discuss the crisis in Eastern Europe. Ukraine's President calls for more sanctions against Russia as the EU considers its proposal. Also, Russia delivers its security demands to US representatives and takes a tougher stance on its red lines.Niko House, political activist, independent journalist, and podcaster, joins us to discuss censorship. In another display of ideological censorship, YouTube has inexplicably blocked the new RT German-language channel on its first day of operation. Also, in a recent lawsuit, Facebook has admitted that its so-called "fact-checkers" are acting as opinion police rather than censoring posts based on empirical data.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss covid. The omicron variant, which has been reported to display considerably milder symptoms than previous variants, seems poised to become the dominant version of the coronavirus. Also, Johnson and Johnson's jabs are being scrutinized due to blood clots. KJ Noh, activist, writer, and teacher, joins us to discuss the Russia/China strategic partnership. The partnership between the two world powers appears to be strengthening due to pressure from the US empire. Andrey Ostrovsky, who heads the Center for Economic Research at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences was quoted as stating "I think that it has to be made clear to the US that if they continue to step up the pressure, then the agreement on military cooperation will be signed."Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, joins us to discuss the Middle East. An illegal US military base in Syria has come under drone attack. Also, Yemeni forces are taking more territory and a new political party in Iraq is being created. Jim Kavanagh, writer at thepolemicist.net and CounterPunch author of "Danger in Society: Against Vaccine Passports,” and Branko Marcetic, Jacobin staff writer and author of "Yesterday's Man: The Case Against Joe Biden," join us to discuss Israel. Israel is pushing the US in an aggressive posture towards Iran that some experts argue could spiral out of control. Also, we discuss the US press's contribution to the political and military instability in the world.Dr. Emmitt Riley, political scientist, author, and assistant professor of Africana studies at DePauw University, joins us to discuss the economy. We discuss the economic reasons for inflation. Also, a new report urges the Senate to expand social programs in President Biden's "Build Back Better" legislation. Beltway insiders see the legislation as doomed to a pre-Christmas death due to Democratic Party infighting.Shane Stranahan, co-host of Fault Lines, joins us to discuss Joe Biden's summit for hypocrisy. Regarding President Biden's "summit of democracy," Branko Milanovic argues that "the most realistic, however, is to see it as a prelude to the creation of an unwieldy association of states, which would be used by the United States to spearhead its ideological crusade in the escalating geopolitical conflict with China and Russia."

Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, joins us to discuss Julian Assange. The Julian Assange saga deepens as the beleaguered publisher is reported to have suffered a stroke at Belmarsh prison. Also, we discuss Assange's health and its relevance to the US-UK extradition procedures.Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss the NATO crisis. Russian diplomats are demanding that NATO rescind its offer to Ukraine and Georgia that they may be considered for entrance into NATO after a decade. Also, the US and NATO are rapidly building up their military capabilities in Ukraine, effectively turning it into a giant military base. Also, the new Green government in Germany is putting a hold on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss COVID-19. The omicron variant seems poised to replace the delta variant worldwide as it is considerably more contagious. Also, the US covid death toll has reached 800,000, and Dr. Fauci is saying that more boosters may be necessary. Teri Mattson, Latin American coordinator for CodePink, joins us to discuss the Global South. The landscape in South America is rapidly changing as many nations that have been victims of US-sponsored coups are using democratic means to throw off the yoke of imperialism.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, joins us to discuss the Middle East. Israeli leaders are again claiming that Iran is the biggest threat to world peace. Also, there are reports that a small contingent of special-ops soldiers in Syria was responsible for a massive amount of civilian deaths due to reckless targeting procedures. Yolian Ogbu, member of the Black Alliance for Peace and Horn of Africa Pan-Africans for Liberation and Solidarity, joins us to discuss Africa. The Biden administration is implying that they are considering military actions in Ethiopia as they have used the phrase "all options are on the table." Also, the US empire seems to be shifting its focus from the Middle East to Africa in a worldwide proxy war against China.Danny Shaw, author, activist, and professor of Latin American studies, joins us to discuss the US demonization of Vladimir Putin. Professor Shaw argues that the US military-industrial complex has used its typecast of Russian President Vladimir Putin as an "evil foreign enemy" as a means to justify massive war sales and subsequent profits. George Koo, journalist, social activist, and international business consultant, joins us to discuss China. The Presidents of Russia and China are scheduled to hold a virtual meeting on Wednesday. Also, China holds memorial services to remember the hundreds of thousands of lives lost during the Nanking massacre by imperial Japan.

Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss the Putin-Biden summit. US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet today in a virtual summit as NATO advances closer to the Russian border. The world watches with bated breath as the two nuclear powers teeter on the edge of a collision that was created by the US overthrow of the government of Ukraine.Scott Ritter, former UN weapons inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss the EU's "Cuban Missile Crisis" on the Russian border. The hope for a peaceful solution to the United States empire's advances on the Russian border is weak, but still alive as Europe faces an existential crisis of its own making.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss the omicron variant. As the latest coronavirus variant continues its inevitable takeover of the landscape, there is a rare discussion as to whether the milder version of the virus could potentially bring an end to the pandemic via a process known as the "law of diminishing virulence."George Koo, journalist, social activist, and international business consultant, joins us to discuss China. The US has announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in China. Also, we discuss the Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, whose recent actions have been used as a blunt weapon to attack the Chinese government.K.J. Noh, activist, writer, and teacher, joins us to discuss the latest lawsuit against Facebook. A 150 billion dollar lawsuit against Facebook has been filed by Rohingya refugees arguing that the social media giant did not use enough censorship to stop hate speech against their group. Some civil libertarian observers are suspicious that the lawsuit may be another move to facilitate increased censorship on social media.Robert Fantina, journalist and Palestine activist, joins us to discuss Israel and Iran. Israel has launched another series of attacks on the nation of Syria. Also, Israel is making a number of odd demands of the US related to negotiations over the JCPOA.Gerald Horne, professor of history at the University of Houston, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss Ethiopia. The US empire is moving to destabilize the African nation, and many suspect that the move is another proxy attack on China. The US seems to be moving to destabilize and overthrow a number of African governments in an overt attempt to decrease Chinese influence on the resource-rich continent.Ajamu Baraka, 2016 US vice presidential candidate for the Green Party, joins us to discuss President Biden's summit of democracy. President Biden has invited the US-sponsored Venezuelan actor Juan Guaido to his worldwide summit of democracies in a move that is increasingly revealing this gathering as a theater of the absurd.

John Burris, civil rights attorney, and Steve Poikonen, national organizer for Action4Assange, join us to wrap up the important stories for the week. The neocon regime change plan for Cuba has fallen flat as their November astroturf protests drew little fanfare. Also, President Biden held a virtual summit with China's leader, the US is making absurd allegations of election fraud against Nicaragua, and a new story has come out claiming that the USS Connecticut was attacked by a Chinese drone.Jack Rasmus, professor in economics and politics at St. Mary's College in California, joins us to discuss the economic stories for the week. Inflation continues to surge as energy prices skyrocket. Also, gold prices go up, Biden's approval ratings plunge, and the "Build Back Better" plan may soon see a vote. Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss covid. OSHA has decided to drop an application of the federal vaccine mandates after a federal court issued a scathing rebuke. Also, the FDA is likely to authorize an additional shot for all adults, and approximately 10 percent of the children in the US have gotten vaccinated.Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri- Kansas City, and James Carey, editor/co-owner at Geopoliticsalert.com, join us to discuss this week's major stories. The US military budget is bloated and growing larger as economic problems increase for everyday citizens. Also, we discuss the president's approval ratings, and the "Build Back Better" legislation.Jim Kavanagh, writer at thepolemicist.net and CounterPunch, and Dan Lazare, author and investigative journalist, join us to discuss important stories of the week. Democrats are concerned that their current leadership is not viable for a 2024 presidential run. Also, Germans look to be facing a long cold winter partially due to EU intransigence with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the US is fueling astroturf protests in Cuba, Biden recently talked with President Xi Jinping of China, and the Democrats have hidden a giant tax cut for the rich inside of Joe Biden's signature "Build Back Better" legislation.

Gary Flowers, host of “The Gary Flowers Show” on radio station Rejoice WREJ-AM 990, and Dr. Emmit Riley, Political Scientist and Assistant Professor of Africana Studies at DePauw University join us to discuss election results. Democrats have lost Virginia and New Jersey is too close to call as two reliably blue states send a powerful midterm message to the incumbent party. The Biden administration has failed to deliver on campaign promises and the loss of both houses in the midterm elections seems likely.Bob Schlehuber, co-host of Political Misfits, joins us to discuss Ethiopia. The Ethiopian conflict grows ever more fraught with tension as nearby nations experience coups and instability. Bob Schlehuber reports from the scene of the tense conflict.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss covid. The CDC has signed off on covid vaccines for 5-11 year olds, and the government is expected to start giving them the injections sooner rather than later. Also, diet and exercise are major factors in the severity of covid symptoms, but the US has thus failed to address the infection from this angle.Martin Sieff, senior fellow at the American University in Moscow, joins us to discuss relations between Russia and the US. Biden's team of neocon Russophobes have increased tension with Russia to an unprecedented level. Also, the US sends more warships to the Black Sea and the situation in the Balkans is at a dangerous point.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, joins us to discuss Iran. In today's PressTV article, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, (IRGC) released news footage of a confrontation that took place October 25 "against an American act of piracy targeting an Iranian fuel shipment."Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri- Kansas City, joins us to discuss the supply chain crisis. The world's largest shipping company is enjoying record profits as a result of the supply chain crisis. Also, we discuss a trucker's view of the problem and why he believes that it will not end soon. George Koo, journalist, social activist, and international business consultant, joins us to discuss China. Some US sinophobes seem to be pushing for a disastrous war with China that would likely destroy the world economy and expose humankind to an extinction-level crisis. China argues that they will decide when and if to use force for reunification with Taiwan.Dr. Francis Boyle, human rights lawyer and professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law, joins us to discuss US foreign policy. The US is "writing bad checks" by implying that it will defend Taiwan and Ukraine, though it has neither the capacity nor likely the inclination to defend either. Meanwhile, US structural difficulties create a potential internal implosion as supply chain woes, cultural and social disagreements, and an inherently unstable financialized economy create extreme political instability.

Michael Goodwin, journalist and columnist at The New York Post, joins us to talk about the outcome of the gubernatorial elections in Virginia, where Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin has defeated former Governor Terry McAuliffe in a race that was colored by the culture wars and schools. We talk about the New Jersey election, where Democrat Philip Murphy holds a slim lead over Republican Jack Ciattarelli. We also talk about news that Bill DeBlasio will run for governor of New York, and his chances of winning despite his unpopularity with both parties.Bob Schlehuber, co-host of Political Misfits on Radio Sputnik, tells us about the evolving situation in Ethiopia, where we have seen gains made by TPLF rebels that may now threaten the capital Addis Ababa. We talk about how Western media coverage has been slanted in favor of the TPLF by framing the Ethiopian government as the initial aggressor, the ethinc tensions in the country, which are being made more salient in the current conflict and were promoted by the TPLF during its rule of the country, and what developments we could see in the coming weeks. Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, talks to us about reports that teenagers, girls especially, are developing tics associated with tourette's syndrome after repeated usage of the TikTok app. We talk about how social media can be a catalyst of psychogenic illnesses with real neurological consequences, and what parents can do to avoid these outcomes. Dr. Robert Hockett, Edward Cornell Professor of Law and a professor of public policy at Cornell University in New York, talks to us about the Federal Reserve ending its asset buying program, the connection between wages, inflation and monetary supply, the Biden administration calling for stablecoins to be issued by insured banks that are overseen by federal banking regulators, and proposals coming out of COP26. Femi Ayanbadejo, former NFL player, certified nutritionist, human performance expert and founder and CEO of HealthReel, joins to discuss the victory of the Atlanta Braves in the World Series, the NBA implementing new rules around fouls, and lopsided wins and sportsmanship.

Jim Kavanagh, writer at thepolemicist.net and CounterPunch, joins us to discuss Julian Assange. In his latest article, Robert Koehler argues that Julian Assange's work at WikiLeaks is a threat to the ability of the US empire to hide the realities of war. Koehler says that the abstraction of war that is presented to the citizens of the empire has been upset by WikiLeaks data that helps the public see and feel the true death and destruction that is perpetrated in their names.Jack Rasmus, professor in economics and politics at St. Mary's College in California, joins us to discuss US economic policy. Democrats are racing to complete a deal on President Biden's economic initiatives before the President leaves for his next foreign tour. One of the stickiest issues is a progressive proposal for a billionaire's tax that would raise a significant amount of revenue from the nation's oligarchs. KJ Noh, peace activist, writer and teacher, joins us to discuss China. Russia and China have set a new military precedent by stepping up military cooperation in the naval realm. The Eurasian powers set out on October 17th for their first-ever joint military patrols involving ten warships. The Russian defense ministry announced that the patrols were intended to "maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region."Tunde Osazua, on the Africa Team of the Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) and coordinator of BAP's "U.S. Out of Africa" Network, joins us to discuss Sudan. Sudan's coup leader allegedly advised US envoy Jeffrey Feltman that he was planning a military takeover of the African nation one day before the planned coup was carried out. Meanwhile, the leader of the coup delivered a televised speech with several talking points that seemed odd and obviously at odds with reality.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, joins us to discuss the Middle East. Hezbollah leaders have announced that they have 100,000 fighters at their disposal in what appears to be a show of force against the US-backed Lebanese Forces party. Also, US officials are making it clear that they intend to continue the illegal occupation of the Syrian oil fieldsDr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss covid. An FDA advisory committee voted 17-0 with one abstention to back giving the Pfizer vaccine to children ages 5-11. The advice is not binding, but it is expected that the agency will grant emergency authorization in the coming weeks.Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss NATO. His latest op-eds address both NATO and the US attempt at catching Russia and China in the field of hypersonic missile technology. Ritter argues that "Unable to find a reason for being, the alliance has decided to manufacture endless crises with Russia in hopes of engendering a new Cold War."Professor Danny Shaw, author, activist and professor of Latin American studies, joins us to discuss Cuba. The US empire is on the move again in Cuba as plans for a November Maidan-style protest movement are casually announced. US officials have taken to social media to announce their plans.

Alexander Mercouris, editor in chief at theduran.com and host of "The Duran" on YouTube, joins us to discuss Hunter Biden and the strategic partnership between Russia and China. Familiar allegations arise as evidence appears that Hunter Biden tried to use his father's name to get pricey contracts with Alcoa aluminum. Also, Mercouris argues that the Russian and Chinese joint naval drills are a signal that the two military powers are working together at an unprecedented level.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss Covid. There is a considerable conversation going on in the medical community regarding the mixing and matching of coronavirus jabs. The CDC is giving the green light for mixed shots. Also, the White House is unveiling a plan to vaccinate children ages 5-11.Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss China. Scott has penned an article in RT in which he argues that "China has conducted a test of space launch technology that, if adapted for use as a nuclear weapons system, could nullify US defenses against Chinese missile attacks." Scott discusses China's reported test of a hypersonic glide vehicle that circled the globe and struck a target. Robert Fantina, journalist and Palestine activist, joins us to discuss Iran. A Responsible Statecraft article discusses the reasons that negotiations between the Biden administration and Iran have ground to a halt. Trita Parsi's article, flawed though it may be, strikes home when it posits that "a more reliable and stable Plan A is needed that both addresses the unsustainability of an agreement that the United States can exist without penalty and that delinks the revival of the JCPOA from legitimate desires to broaden the deal."Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, joins us to discuss the Middle East. A US base involved in the illegal occupation of the Syrian oil fields was attacked by drones from an unknown source. International security observers expect the US to blame the attack on "Iranian linked" groups, as usual. Also, several Syrian soldiers were killed during a terrorist attack when explosives were placed on a military transport bus. Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri- Kansas City, joins us to discuss economics. Private equity firms have been making a fortune while hollowing out the hopes of everyday working-class Americans. Also, Senator Elizabeth Warren is leading a push for Wall Street reform. However, few observers expect a party led by a President with notorious connections to predatory credit card firms to support any major changes to the financial industry. Video journalist Ford Fischer from the News2Share outlet joins us to discuss the media. Fischer joins us to relate his recent experience at a protest against the environmental policies of the Biden administration. Observers found it conspicuous that mainstream media courses ignored the activity, as over 400 were arrested over five days. Nick Davies, peace activist and author of "Blood on Our Hands: The American Invasion of Iraq," joins us to discuss the effect of the neoliberal ideology. Author Nicholas Davies argues that "Americans should likewise demand that our government stop wasting trillions of dollars to militarize the world and destroy countries like Afghanistan and Iraq, and start solving our real problems, here and abroad."

Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, joins us to wrap up the important stories for the week. Severe shortages and a sudden visit from Victoria Nuland coincide with political unrest in Lebanon. Also, President Biden's DOJ defends torture, political wrangling within the democratic party slows the passing of fiscal bills and Israel threatens Iran.Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri- Kansas City, joins us to discuss the economic stories for the week. Americans are quitting their jobs in record numbers. Also, the weekly job numbers are in and inflation has taken on a different look.Dr. Yolandra Hancock joins us to talk about covid. Health officials fear that people will have difficulty distinguishing between covid symptoms and those of the flu and the common cold. Also, President Biden pledges 100 million dollars to attract medical workers and we discuss the latest news about the jab.Niko House, political activist, independent journalist and podcaster, and Jim Kavanagh, writer at thepolemicist.net & CounterPunch and the author of "Danger to Society: Against Vaccine Passports," come together to talk politics. A tech company has mounted a laser-guided rifle on a robot dog and observers are concerned that it could be used for domestic oppression. Also, Israel is destroying a historic Muslim cemetery, the House passed a temporary debt limit extension, and the CIA plot to assassinate Julian Assange may affect his upcoming hearing.Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "America's Undeclared War," and Dr. Colin Campbell, DC senior news correspondent, come together to discuss the latest news. Observers are questioning West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin's loyalties as it is revealed that he accepted 1.5 million dollars from corporate interests who oppose the Biden agenda. Also, a Black Louisiana State Trooper who spoke out about police brutality may be fired, a robot dog has a laser rifle, and a US marine who pled guilty to disrespecting senior officers has pled guilty and is being sentenced.

Gerald Horne, professor of history at the University of Houston, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss the Pandora Papers. A trove of 11.9 million documents containing financial information on some of the world's richest and most powerful people has been released by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. The documents have already created embarrassing situations for powerful politicians in Ukraine and England.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss covid. Drugmaker Merck is about to release a powerful new antiviral medicine that is believed to be a breakthrough tactic for addressing the covid pandemic. Also, the winter approaches and observers expect the delta variant to begin spreading rapidly soon.Daniel McAdams, executive director of the Ron Paul Institute, joins us to discuss censorship. The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity temporarily lost their YouTube channel last week and no reasonable excuse was given by YouTube. Also, former President Donald Trump has filed papers in a Florida court arguing that Twitter acted on behalf of Democrat operatives in removing his personal account.John Burris, civil rights attorney, joins us to discuss the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). The conservative SCOTUS is scheduled to make major decisions regarding issues that have both political and social ramifications. The major cases on the SCOTUS docket will address gun control, abortion, religious liberty, national security, and capital punishment, among other issues.George Koo, journalist, social activist, international business consultant, and chemical engineer, joins us to discuss China. China has shocked the US military planners with its aggressive response to the Taiwan threat. China has begun regularly flying warplanes in and around Taiwan, and has stated that they will be prepared to attack whenever the order is given. Also, they have admonished the EU to "mind their own business" regarding China's internal affairs.John Kiriakou, journalist, author and host of The Back Story, joins us to discuss a Common Dreams article on torture. The article addresses the issue of torture. Guantanamo Bay is discussed, but the article also speaks of another little-known remote torture site in Poland. Leo Flores, Latin America coordinator for Code Pink, joins us to discuss the Global South. An interesting war of words is taking place between Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro and the former prime minister of Spain, José María Aznar. Maduro has recently argued that Spain should apologize for its colonial rampage of genocide and slavery in Latin America and the Caribbean, while Aznar simply laughs off the demands for acknowledgment of the evil deeds.Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss Centcom. In his latest Responsible Statecraft article, Andrew Bacevich argues that the very existence of the Central Command and its 10 sister command centers is a horrible mistake for the US empire and the world. Bacevich goes on to point out that regional stability has decreased since the development of the command system.

Jim Kavanagh, writer at thepolemicist.net and CounterPunch, and author of "Danger to Society: Against Vaccine Passports," joins us to discuss Russia-gate. The Durham probe into the origins of Russia-gate has exposed the 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign for pushing lies and propaganda aimed at election influence. The latest charging document makes it clear the Clinton campaign and its contractors maliciously worked to spread false information to the press and the FBI. Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss Covid. The FDA denied President Biden's request for booster shorts for all Americans, but did ok it for those in high-risk categories. Also, hospitalizations continue to be high and the booster debate continues. Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, joins us to discuss Syria. The Assad government works to rebuild the war-torn nation as their battle against ISIS mercenaries sponsored by Western imperialists comes to an end. Will the US and its allies hang on to a failed regime change strategy or accept reality?National Director for Code Pink Ariel Gold joins us to discuss Israel. Israeli officials have communicated that they are not concerned about the possibility of losing billions in US aid because they are confident that they can work the system to get the money within a few weeks by other means.Steve Poikonen, national organizer for Action4Assange, joins us to discuss Iran. The President of Iran has said that he sees US sanctions as an alternative method that the US empire uses for warfare. Also, there are rumors that the US has discussed alternate plans to the JCPOA with Israel.Kweku Lamumba, external relations coordinator for KOSSA, joins us to discuss the Haitian immigrant crisis. There are charges of racism as scenes of verbal and physical abuse hit social media from the Mexican border. The immigrants face a desperate situation as food and shelter are scarce and they have no way of knowing what comes next.Gerald Horne, professor of history at the University of Houston, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss the coup in Guinea. Observers are suspicious about the Africom ties to the coup in Guinea. Also, President Biden's recent discussion of Ethiopia as a threat to US national security seems to indicate that the US empire may be aiming its regime change machine at the beleaguered African nation.Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri- Kansas City, joins us to discuss Evergrande. The Chinese real estate giant Evergrande is facing a debt crisis. However, many economists are concerned that the US debt of 30 trillion dollars and rising is a more immediate threat to world economic health.

Kim Keenan, adjunct professor at George Washington University and former General Counsel of the NAACP, joins us to discuss developments in the ongoing fraud case against Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. We talk about the details of the charges and how the company's claims to revolutionize blood testing drew investors that included many important political figures and ended up being a empty shell, the defense that Holmes is putting up claiming abuse, whether this will be effective in court, and how this case connects to Silicon Valley techno-utopian culture. Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, talks to us about the future of healthcare provision, how telehealth has changed the way Americans access medical treatment over the course of the pandemic, and whether these changes should - and will - be made permanent. We also talk about the limitations of virtual health consultations and treatment, how unequal access to technology can affect the quality of healthcare that people receive. David Swanson, activist, journalist, radio host and author of the book "Curing Exceptionalism," talks to us about Joe Biden's and Xi Jinping's speeches at the United Nations General Assembly, how they differed from each other in tone and substance, and whether we will see an attempt at cooperation or continuing escalations between the two countries, in light of recent U.S. weapons sales in the Asia region. We also talk about new developments in the allegations about the so-called Havana syndrome, with new claims coming out from intelligence officials traveling abroad, the unanimous passage of the Havana Act in Congress, and how the allegations of directed energy attacks have been accepted as fact despite the mysterious nature of these cases. Justin Williams, co-host of Redspin Sports, talks to us about NFL rule change proposals for 2021, taunting during games being penalized, new contract proposals by U.S. Soccer and the fight for pay equity, and the fight of Philadelphia 76ers All-Star forward Ben Simmons against management regarding his contract.

Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss Covid. Scientists are at odds over the Biden administration's new vaccine booster program, as various studies bring in conflicting data. Also, a CDC report contends that fully vaccinated people can still transmit the virus.James Carey, editor/co-owner at Geopoliticsalert.com, joins us to discuss Afghanistan. A recent report in the Intercept shows that US generals who deliberately lied about the Afghanistan occupation faced no consequences and were rewarded with large pensions and high-paying jobs in the industry of war profiteers.Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss Russia's EU relations. EU partners are making a fuss over the war games between Russia and Belarus, even though they have been practicing much larger war games on Russia's borders explicitly aimed at war with the Eurasian power. Also, disenchanted warmongers in Europe are frustrated at the US pullout from Afghanistan, and are pushing for an independent EU army to carry out imperialist wars throughout the world.Dr. Colin Campbell, a Washington, DC, news correspondent, joins us to discuss voting. In furtherance of a probe of the 2020 elections, the GOP-led Pennsylvania State Senate has approved subpoenas for a wide range of data and personal information on voters. The senators are seeking to obtain names, dates of birth, driver's license numbers, last four digits of Social Security numbers, addresses, and methods of voting for millions of voters.K. J. Noh, peace activist, writer, and teacher, joins us to discuss China. The US, UK, and Australia have announced a new agreement that is put together as a military pact against China. The plan includes providing nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. China has slammed the latest anti-China move and argues that it will hurt regional stability.Chris Garaffa, web developer and technologist, joins us to discuss AI. UN High Commissioner for Human RIghts Michele Bachelet is asking that companies halt the sale and use of artificial intelligence technology that can imperil human rights. Bachelet argues that "AI technologies can have negative, even catastrophic, effects if they are used without sufficient regard to how they affect people's human rights."Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "America's Undeclared War," joins us to discuss American-European relations. A Strategic Culture article examines the relationship between the United States and Europe. The author reviews the refugee crisis in Europe and argues that the irresponsible regime change and colonialist policies of the US empire have created the flood of refugees. Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, joins us to discuss Israel. There are reports that one of the Palestinian prison escapees was beaten and tortured by Israeli security and is now effectively brain dead. Also, the war crimes case against Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz is moving forward to a Dutch appeals court.

Caleb Maupin, journalist and political analyst, joins us to wrap up the important stories for the week. Chevron uses the law and the FBI to target whistleblower Steven Danziger. Also, the US sends ships near Chinese territory, the Taliban take over, and North Korea is not sharing information regarding their struggle with covid.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss covid. President Biden announced expansive vaccine mandates that will affect upwards of 100 million American workers. Some GOP governors threaten to sue over the sweeping mandates.Jack Rasmus, professor in economics and politics at St. Mary's College in California, joins us to discuss economics. The weekly jobless rate has dropped to a pandemic low of 310,000. Also, the Democrats push a 3.5 trillion dollar budget, and Presidents Biden and Xi speak amid rising tensions.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, and Robert Fantina, journalist and Palestine activist, come together to discuss important news stories for the week. The economic war on Lebanon is creating disastrous conditions for the Lebanese people. Also, Iran wishes to continue talks for restoration of the JCPOA, but the US is signaling that it may soon abandon negotiations.Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "America's Undeclared War," and James Carey, editor/co-owner at Geopoliticsalert.com, come together to talk politics. Elite US institutions created and installed Ashraf Ghani as the corrupt puppet leader for the empire in Afghanistan. Also, China says that they will not return to poverty and second-class status, Biden looks to confront Russia and China, and the principal witness against Assange explains his fabrications.

Dr. Jack Rasmus, professor in economics and politics at St. Mary's College in California, joins us to discuss the economy. Today, our guest discusses an article he authored. In it, he argues that leading economic indicators are forecasting a weakening economy, and the decision-makers are re-introducing disastrous neoliberal austerity to a struggling job market.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss covid. The delta variant is having a significant effect on the US fight against covid as US hospitalizations are on the rise. Also, booster shots may be limited to the Pfizer vaccine and Cuba is vaccinating children.Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss Ukraine. There are reports that a gas pipeline explosion in Crimea was masterminded by the Ukrainian Defense's Directorate of Intelligence. Also, does the meeting between US President Joe Biden and the empire's puppet, the President of Ukraine, indicate that the US learned nothing for Afghanistan?Miko Peled, author and activist, joins us to discuss Iran and Israel. Iran, under the leadership of their new President, says that they will continue with nuclear talks. Also, Israel's Naftali Bennet says that he will continue with the covert war on Iran even after begging the US to attack Iran over an alleged drone attack by Iran on an Israel-connected ship.Netfa Freeman, host of Voices With Vision on WPFW 89.3 FM, pan-Africanist and internationalist organizer, joins us to discuss the military coup in Guinea. Military forces linked to the US and French imperial powers have toppled the government in Guinea. Colonel Mamady Doumbouya has taken control of the country and declared himself the ruler.James Carey, editor/co-owner at GeoPoliticsAlert.com, joins us to discuss Afghanistan. Robert C. Koehler argues that we need a truth commission on Afghanistan to avoid repeating the disastrous moves that dragged the occupation on for 20 years. Also, tens of thousands of innocent people were killed in 20 years of US drone strikes.Gerald Horne, professor of history at the University of Houston, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss US military confrontations with Russia and China. In Patrick Lawrence's recent Consortium News article "Power," he argues that US citizens need to become aware of the atrocities committed by their government around the world and act to stop the aggression before it leads to a worldwide catastrophe.K. J. Noh, peace activist, writer, and teacher, joins us to discuss China. The US aggression against China seems to be based on a principle that China must be economically and militarily inferior to the US empire. Also, weather-related disasters cry out for help, but the US empire is wasting its resources jousting at the Chinese windmill.

Saber Nasseri, an 11-year Afghan interpreter for the US Marine Corps and CEO of Afghanistan-America Relations Office, talks to us about the plight of the Afghan nationals who assisted U.S. forces and government who were left behind in the country after American troops officially withdrew this week. We discuss the difficulties they have faced trying to get themselves and their relatives out of Afghanistan. We also talk about the risks for former U.S. allies in the country and their families, how the Taliban may retaliate against them, and what the future holds for them. Mark Sleboda, international affairs and security analyst, joins the Misfits to talk about the meeting between President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, what this means beyond a photo op, whether the meeting will result in increased military assistance to the Ukraine, what this means for relations with Russia and the region, and how corruption is bogging down the country. Jill Clark-Gollub, assistant editor at the Council of Hemispheric Affairs, talks to us about the political situation in Nicaragua, where elections are scheduled for November 7, the media coverage over the arrests of opposition leaders, how the political opposition has received substantial support from U.S. soft power agencies like the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute, and the negative effects that sanctions will have on the Nicaraguan people. Dan Lazare, journalist and writer, talks to us about the bankruptcy settlement on Wednesday that grants the Sacklers "global peace" from any liability for the opioid epidemic, the asset forfeiture case of Stephen Lara, and the Supreme Court declining to block a restrictive Texas law banning abortions at six weeks into pregnancy, and allowing anyone in the country to sue abortion providers or others who help women get the procedure after that time frame.Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, talks to us about COVID-19 and America's youth, the risks entailed as schools reopen, rising rates of obesity in children during the pandemic, and the increasing number of young people living with diabetes.

Marvin Weinbaum, director for the Middle East Institute's Center for Pakistan and Afghanistan Studies, joins us to discuss Afghanistan. A US drone strike in Afghanistan aimed at Daesh-K (ISIS-K) has reportedly killed nine members of a family, including a two-year-old girl. Also, some of the deaths at the Kabul airport appear to be from US military members firing into the crowd, and President Biden enters the perilous last hours of the Afghanistan drama. Anthony Rogers-Wright, climate activist and director of environmental justice at New York Lawyers for the Public Internet, joins us to discuss Hurricane Ida. There is widespread devastation as Hurricane Ida makes landfall as a category four storm in Louisiana. Climate change activists argue that this is just one of many severe weather incidents that we will endure due to the failure of our leaders to address greenhouse gas emissions.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss covid. A New York Times article argues that we have not had the proper level of discussion about covid policy. The article argues that we must clearly identify the goals of particular policies, and then we can get better buy-in from those who are asked to make lifestyle changes and sacrifices for the good of all. Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss Iran. There are reports that President Biden made statements to the media that can easily be interpreted as potential military action towards Iran. Biden apparently said that if diplomacy fails he is "ready to turn to other options." Also, Iran is warning that they will not be deterred from providing fuel assistance to Lebanon. Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, joins us to discuss Yemen and broader Middle East policy. The Houthi military has launched a ballistic missile strike on a Saudi base that has reportedly caused 40 deaths and 70 injuries. Also, many Gulf States are cautiously reacting to the reemergence of the Taliban as the primary political, social, and military force in Afghanistan.Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss NATO. The US has reminded the Ukrainian President that his nation will not be admitted into NATO. Also, as NATO crashes and burns in Afghanistan, its obsolescence is becoming obvious, and observers are contemplating the next move for the fractured and broken alliance. Dan Kovalik, writer, author, and lawyer, joins us to discuss the Global South. Nino Pagliccia writes that the international community must be prepared for an attempted coup against the new President of Peru coming from the US empire. Also, President Xi of China has stated that China will walk together with Cuba in building socialism.Dr. Jack Rasmus, professor in economics and politics at St. Mary's College in California, joins us to discuss the economy. The United States is facing a pair of devastating economic hits within the next few weeks. Many are using the term "economic and social cliff" as 7.5 million people are about to lose jobless benefits on Labor Day, and up to 30 million people are facing homelessness due to the death of the temporary eviction moratorium.

Caleb Maupin, journalist and political analyst, joins us to wrap up the important stories for the week. The US media continues its assault on the departure of the US military from Afghanistan. Also, Kamala Harris stumbles through Asia, Singapore gives a thumbs down to anti-China rhetoric, and Bush-era war criminals blast Biden for leaving Afghanistan.Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri- Kansas City, joins us to discuss the economic stories for the week. The Supreme Court of the United States has dealt a significant blow to Americans facing eviction as they throw out President Biden's temporary eviction moratorium. Also, weekly jobless claims hold steady, and the Federal Reserve is reconsidering its gigantic stimulus for Wall Street.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss covid. The consideration for getting children under 12 vaccinated for covid is growing. Also, Chicago's police union is pushing back against a vaccine mandate for all city employees. Dr. Colin Campbell, a Washington, DC, news correspondent, joins us to talk about several legal issues. Body camera footage shows a Louisiana police officer beating a compliant dialysis patient. Also, a court rules that former felons in North Carolina can vote, and the South Dakota Attorney General gets a light sentence after killing a pedestrian and fleeing the scene. Niko House, political activist, independent journalist and podcaster, and Jim Kavanagh, writer at thepolemicist.net & Counter Punch and the author of "The American Farce Unravels: Shreds of January 6th," come together to talk politics. President Biden has sworn to avenge the deaths of 13 US soldiers killed by Daesh-K at the Kabul airport. Also, the US media is weaponizing women's rights as a cynical tool to be used for an argument to remain in Afghanistan, and Israel is promising a more aggressive policy towards the Palestinians.

Julie Varughese, solidarity network coordinator for Black Alliance for Peace, joins us to discuss Afghanistan. President Biden has said that he is considering extending the presence of troops in Afghanistan beyond the previously identified date of August 31st. Also, even The New York Times is discussing Afghanistan as a neocolonial misadventure.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss covid. The Pfizer vaccine has been granted full approval by the FDA. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy told Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday" that he believes this will pave the way for more vaccine mandates in businesses and universities.Alexander Mercouris, editor in chief at theduran.com & host of "The Duran" on YouTube, joins us to discuss Ukraine. In yet another authoritarian crackdown, Ukrainian President Zelensky bans popular Russian websites, including popular news outlets. Also, German Chancellor Angela Merkel tells Kiev that Europe will be transitioning away from gas over the next 25 years.Dr. Jack Rasmus, professor in economics and politics at St. Mary's College in California, joins us to discuss the US economy. Democrats are at great odds over the $3.5 trillion budget plan. Also, the Federal Reserve is considering ending the $120 billion per month purchase of corporate bonds.K. J. Noh, peace activist, writer, and teacher, joins us to discuss China. Vice President Kamala Harris is landing in Singapore to build allies for the US aggression against China, as the Afghanistan debacle is destroying the world's confidence in the US empire as a reliable strategic partner.Caleb Maupin, journalist and political analyst, joins us to discuss the US oligarchic empire. Caitlin Johnstone argues that the US empire is easy to understand if you consider its makeup and desire to rule the world. Also, Bush-era war criminals are in the news prognosticating about Afghanistan and ignoring their part in creating this disaster.Gerald Horne, professor of history at the University of Houston, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss Africa. Israel is being officially accepted into the African Union, even though most African states are in solidarity with the Palestinians and reject Israel's occupation. Also, Ethiopia is becoming more unstable as the civil war spreads. James Carey, editor/co-owner at Geopoliticsalert.com, joins us to discuss Israel. Israeli snipers injured over 40 protesters, including 24 children, during protests on Saturday. An Israeli sniper was wounded by gunfire, and Israel retaliated with more airstrikes on Gaza.

Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, joins us to discuss the costs of the Afghanistan occupation. He talks about an article written by Dr. Jack Rasmus in which he discusses the financial burden that the Afghani imperial project has put on the US empire. Rasmus posits in the article that the cost of the occupation was one of the principal drivers in the decision to walk away. K. J. Noh, peace activist, writer, and teacher, joins us to discuss China and Taiwan. China has unleashed a furious response to claims made by members of the US Congress that there are numerous US troops in Taiwan. A Global Times editorial makes the connection between Taiwan and Afghanistan, and warns the Taiwanese government to take note of the outcome of the Afghanistan conflict.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss covid. Recent reports indicate that the Biden administration may recommend a third dose of vaccine be administered eigh, months after being fully vaccinated.Jim Kavanagh, writer at thepolemicist.net and CounterPunch, and the author of "The American Farce Unravels: Shreds of January 6th," joins us to discuss media propaganda. Caitlin Johnstone's latest article brings light to the connection between the US media and the war profiteers. Johnstone explains that think tanks that are funded by war profiteers that then supply information to the media, which is put forth as if it were independent, unbiased reporting of facts.Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, joins us to discuss Afghanistan falling to the Taliban. The US-appointed President of Afghanistan reportedly fled the country with a helicopter full of cash. Also, Joe Lauria's consortiumnews.com piece argues that the outcome of the Afghan conflict shows how little US foreign policy "gurus" understood about the region.Dr. Jemima Pierre, associate professor of Black studies and anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles, joins us to discuss Haiti. A major storm is scheduled to hit the impoverished Caribbean island nation just after a major earthquake. Will outside help again bring disease and neo-liberal disaster capitalism to profit from the people's misery?Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss the US occupation of Iraq. Now that Afghanistan has fallen to the Taliban, many foreign policy experts are arguing that the US should immediately exit Iraq and Syria, noting that the excuses for occupation have evaporated.Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss the effect of the Afghanistan debacle on US vassal governments worldwide. An article on the Strategic Culture Foundation's website details the fecklessness of US foreign policy, and makes the point that vassal governments and collaborators worldwide should take note of the Afghanistan disaster.

Dan Lazare, investigative journalist, and Ted Rall, Political Cartoonist and Syndicated Columnist join us to discuss New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has resigned from office amidst a notorious sexual harassment scandal. Cuomo said that the investigation is politically motivated and "New York tough means New York loving, and I love New York, and I love you. I would never want to be unhelpful in any way."K. J. Noh, peace activist, writer, and teacher, joins us to discuss the US military as a vector for the transmission of Covid. K.J. co-authored a scholarly article in which he examines the US military as a vector for transmittable diseases from a historical and current perspective. K.J. argues that "the underreporting of this disease vector notwithstanding, as our analysis will show there is well documented evidence for the military as a pathogen transmitter spanning over a century."Mark Sleboda, Moscow based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss Belarus. The US empire's recent moves to support regime change in Belarus have produced the opposite reaction from the former Soviet satellite nation as the nation's president announces plans to further integrate with Russia. Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss the current major news stories regarding the ongoing covid crisis. Medical experts are working to understand why covid infections have hit the highest numbers since last February, before vaccines were widely available. Also, a seemingly partisan battle over school mask mandates is heating up, as children are set to return to school in most states. Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon joins us to discuss the attack on an Israel linked vessel named "Mercer Street." US leadership is sending contradicting signals as Secretary of State Tony Blinken blames Iran for the attack, as the Pentagon dispatches soldiers to Yemen allegedly to search for the persons responsible. Meanwhile, Iran denies any involvement and Israel pushes for a disastrous war against the Islamic Republic. Frederick B. Mills, professor of philosophy at Bowie State University and deputy director of the Council of Hemispheric Affairs, joins us to discuss the Monroe doctrine. Professor Mills argues that the prosecution of the Monroe doctrine that the US has levied against the Bolivarian republic, Latin America and the Carribean is simply an external form of the same Jim Crow/Apartheid policies it has continually perpetrated against Black Americans. Steve Poikonen, national organizer for Action4Assange, joins us to discuss an odd situation in Buffalo. Now that the citizens of Buffalo have selected an avowed democratic socialist as the new mayor, the Democratic party establishment is exploring ways to circumvent that choice. The latest extra Democratic maneuver proposed by the city council involves dissolving the powers of the mayor into a new position called a "city manager."Leo Flores, Latin America coordinator for Code Pink, joins us to discuss Venezuela. The draconian US sanctions against the Bolivarian republic have drained an estimated $57.1 billion dollars in asset losses from the people of Venezuela. Also, regime change proponents are now pushing for "free and fair" elections in November, despite the reality that the Venezuela elections have been dubbed some of the most fair elections on Earth by international election observers.

Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss the pandemic. Concern over the Delta variant is hitting a fevered pitch as hospitalizations in the United States rise to numbers not seen since last February. For the first time since February 2020, more than 50,000 covid patients were hospitalized Monday, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.Dan Cohen, filmmaker, and writer for the Gray Zone project, joins us to discuss top national security reporters in the US and their connections to the government. Dan joins our hosts in a discussion about his latest Mintpress news article, "Media and the Permanent War State: Top National Security Reporters Linked to US Government." Cohen says that "when you think of the military-industrial complex and the permanent war state, don't forget about what might be the most important component of all: the media."Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, joins us to discuss Israel's latest military actions in the Middle East. Laith argues that Israeli militarism is destabilizing the region. He cites the current examples of Israel attacking southern Lebanon while arguing for a catastrophic war against Iran.Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief at theduran.com & host of "The Duran'' on YouTube, joins us to discuss Russia and China's strategic partnership. China is hosting Russian troops for a major military exercise for the first time on Chinese soil. Mercouris argues that the partnership between the two world powers is growing, and the fertilizer is being provided by the aggressive foreign policy of the United States. Kathy Kelly, American peace activist, joins us to discuss the congressional debate over the War Powers Act. A congressional debate over the future of the War Powers Act and the authorization for the use of military force is creating a dynamic in which GOP hawks will come face to face with the party's small, but popular libertarian non-interventionist wing. Also, US peace groups are calling on President Biden to adopt a "no first use of nuclear weapons" policy.Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss the domination of Russian anti-aircraft technology in the Syrian skies. Syrian air defense forces have been having increased success in defeating Israeli missile attacks using advanced Russian anti-aircraft units. Sleboda discusses whether this is a result of changing policies in the Kremlin as Russia seeks to stabilize its war-torn ally.Teri Matson, Latin American coordinator for CodePink, joins us to discuss the new organization that is being created in Latin America to counter the Washington, DC-based regime change organization known as the OAS. Morales is expounding upon the comments by Mexico's president in which he argued for a new organization to counter US domination of the Global South. Author and speaker Vijay Prashad joins us to discuss China's work to build a relationship with the incoming Afghanistan government. Chinese diplomats have been meeting with Taliban leaders and facing the reality that the theocratic political organization is likely to soon take power in Kabul. Our guest argues that the Chinese government is working to secure economic ties, advance their "Belt and Road" initiative, and counter the ETIM's terror threat in Xinjiang.

Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "America's Undeclared War," joins us to discuss the Andrew Cuomo sexual harassment scandal. The New York State Attorney General's office has released a report that alleges a pattern of sexual harassment by the governor of the state. As a result, President Biden has called for his resignation.Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri- Kansas City joins us to discuss the eviction moratorium. As a result of pressure from the left flank of the Democatic party, President Biden has agreed to institute a limited moratorium on evictions. Also, the governor of Missouri has pardoned a couple who made international news by pointing weapons at protesters last summer.Niko House, political activist, independent journalist and podcaster, joins us to discuss Nina Turner's loss in Ohio. Democratic hopeful Nina Turner lost her bid for an Ohio congressional seat yesterday. The firebrand progressive blamed her loss on "evil money" as huge sums poured in from Israeli lobby groups and pro-corporate dark money entities.Caleb Maupin, journalist and political analyst, joins us to discuss Iran's new president. Dignitaries from around the world are arriving in Tehran to congratulate the new President of Iran. Ebrahim Raeisi will take the reins at a time when the nation is facing a possible military confrontation with Israel and stalled negotiations with a recalcitrant hegemonic power.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss the Delta variant. The Delta variant of the coronavirus is wreaking havoc around the world. We discuss the current state of affairs in the fight to deal with the latest version of the deadly pathogen at the root of the worldwide pandemic.Scott Ritter, Former UN weapon inspector in Iraq" joins us to discuss US Marine Corp Major General Smedley Butler. Smedley Darlington Butler was the son of a Quaker and a decorated military leader who wrote a book called "War is a Racket." Butler was involved in a number of US imperial wars and invasions, and later came out to argue that he was fighting for US corporations.Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, joins us to discuss social media censorship. Prominent Russia-gate proponent Keith Olbermann has caused a stir by arguing that popular firebrand YouTube host and comedian Jimmy Dore should be banned from all social media. We talk about censorship and whether Olbermann is an outlier or a harbinger of future online authoritarianism.Gerald Horne, professor of history at the University of Houston, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss the neocon ideology called "liberal internationalism." Our guest elaborates on the foundational ideology behind the neocon argument for "liberal internationalism." Is this an ideology intended to bring peace and stability or simply a self-serving racket?

Caleb Maupin, journalist and political analyst, joins us to wrap up the important stories for the week. Several doctors have evaluated the health of Julian Assange and conclude that he may not survive a grueling legal process that seems intended to destroy him physically. Also, we discuss the Ben and Jerry's controversy, the Yemen war, and Cuba.Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri- Kansas City, joins us to discuss the top economic issues for the week. The US gross domestic product rose far less than the Dow Jones estimate of 8.4%. Also, we discuss the eviction moratorium, covid aid's effect on poverty, and the world economy's return from covid.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss health issues. President Biden is reacting to the spread of the delta variant by instituting some mask and vaccination mandates. Also, we discuss the latest CDC reports on the delta variant and the potentiality for Pfizer booster shots.Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, and Dr. Colin Campbell, a Washington, DC, news correspondent, join us for a weekly news wrap up. Chris Hedges has an excellent article in which he argues that "the return of the Taliban to power will be one more signpost of the end of the American empire — and nobody will be held accountable." Also, we talk about Julian Assange, the Aurora, Colorado police abuse case, and Cuba. Scott Ritter, a former UN weapons inspector in Iraq, and Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, come together to discuss the significant foreign policy stories of the week. Whistleblower Daniel Hale was sentenced to 45 months in a federal prison, but will likely only serve a reduced sentence of 18 months. Also, we discuss Cuba, China's demands to Wendy Sherman, President Biden's military policies, and reports that the US is planning new sanctions against Iran.

Six independent experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council advised that "hundreds of Venezuelan cancer patients could die" as a result of illegal U.S. sanctions imposed on Venezuela and its state-owned oil company.Caleb Maupin, journalist and political analyst, joins us to discuss the week's events. Earlier this week, The UN-appointed human rights experts advised that U.S. sanctions have a devastating effect on a program, run by the Simón Bolívar Foundation, that helped cancer patients travel abroad for transplants and other treatments. According to reports, "hundreds of these patients used to be linked to a national transplant program with the Venezuelan government, but their treatment was discontinued" because of U.S. sanctions.Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, joins us to talk about the economy. Unemployment claims jumped after GOP-led states cut off Federal jobless aid and a new Biden administration program was announced that would allow borrowers with loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration and other federal agencies to extend the length of their mortgages, locking in lower monthly principal and interest payments.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins Dr. Gigi El-Bayoumi, professor of Medicine at GW University Hospital and founding director at Rodham Institute at George Washington University, to discuss covid. The CDC warns that this is a "pivotal moment" in the fight against the delta variant.Niko House, political activist, independent journalist, and podcaster joins Dr. Colin Campbell, DC Senior News Correspondent, on a panel to discuss the week's events. Our guests talk about Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez going "full neocon'' on Cuba and Haiti positions. They also discuss the US life expectancy falling by 1.5 years in 2020, the biggest decline in generations.Margaret Flowers, pediatrician, health reform activist and co-director at Popular Resistance, joins Gary Flowers, radio talk show host and public policy analyst, for our final news panel. Topics include Haiti, unemployment, and President Biden's recent town hall.

In the biggest decline seen in generations, the US life expectancy plummeted by 1.5 years due to COVID, drug overdoses, homicides and chronic diseases.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins Dr. Gigi El-Bayoumi, professor of Medicine at GW University Hospital and founding director at Rodham Institute at George Washington University, to discuss the effects of Covid on last year's death toll. The US life expectancy fell by 1.5 years last year, in part to hundreds and thousands of covid deaths.Martin Sieff, senior fellow at the American University in Moscow, joins us to discuss Nord Stream 2. Both US and German officials announced that the two respective countries reached an agreement allowing for the completion of the Russian natural gas pipeline.Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss the Iran Security Council rejecting the draft proposal to restore the nuclear deal. According to a spokesman for Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Iran's Supreme National Security Council rejected the draft agreement that was negotiated in Vienna "indirectly with the US to restore the nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA.Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, joins us to talk about the economy. News reports indicate the economy is having a harder time rebooting itself this summer than this past spring when many in the US were getting vaccinated and receiving stimulus checks.Dr. Sharon Anderson, former professor of law at Georgetown, Harvard and Howard Universities, CEO of CSG Consulting Services, and author of the new book, Emotional Civility--The New Standard of Global Success, joins us to discuss new reports that FBI informants entrapped those charged in the plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Nino Pagliccia, activist and writer, joins us to discuss Cuba. A responsiblestatecraft.org article states the "excuses for why the US can't lift Trump restrictions on the cash Americans send their families there are outdated and inaccurate."KJ Noh, writer and peace activist, joins us to talk about China. In a joint statement with Japan, Britain has announced that they have plans to permanently deploy two warships to Asia.Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to talk about the Russian Zircon missile. Top priority has been given by the Kremlin to modernize the country's arsenal

A new Black Agenda Report article muses that bipartisan support for new legislation to specifically address domestic terrorism "comes despite no activities that are not now criminal that they believe ought to be."Niko House, political activist and independent journalist, joins us to discuss warmongers on the faux-left. Recent battles between alternative voices on YouTube have revealed the reality that some on the left in America have been co-opted by neo-liberal and neo-con elements in the US government and beyond. We discuss the background and the current situation in both media and government Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss covid. Medical experts are worried as covid cases are spiking in almost every state. Many wonder if the new Delta variant is at the heart of the problem. Also, there is significant discussion as to whether the mixing of vaccines is safe and effective.Greg Palast, investigative reporter, joins us to discuss Haiti. Haiti has a long history of Western colonial intervention that has devastated the economy and caused great suffering. News that the US is considering sending troops is not viewed as good news by those who seek Haitian independence and revolutionary change in the beleaguered island nation.Caleb Maupin, journalist and political analyst, joins us to discuss Cuba. Cuba's Bruno Rodriguez is complaining that US mercenaries have worked to create a "systemic provocation" in the tiny island nation as part of an illegal regime-change operation. Also, Cuba's president argues that US sanctions are responsible for the shortages and economic hardships that are at the center of the social unrest.Dr. Gerald Horne, professor of history at the University of Houston, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss South Africa. The conviction and jailing of former South African president Jacob Zuma for failing to address charges of corruption has sparked unrest in the African nation. The government has dispatched military forces to several provinces as the unrest appears to be spreading.James Carey, editor/Co-Owner at Geopoliticsalert.com, joins us to discuss Iran. A European event hosted by the political arm of an odd terrorist cult called the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK) has caused significant uproar. A number of American and European politicians made inflammatory statements about Iran as the event seemed to be aimed at negatively affecting the negotiations to bring the US back into compliance with the JCPOA.Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, joins us to discuss Julian Assange. Our guest joins us to discuss the media blackout of the recent news regarding a star witness against Julian Assange recanting his testimony as lies and innuendo. Also, Caitlyn Johnstone argues that the Assange case is about narrative control rather than national security.Nick Davies, peace activist and author of "Blood on Our Hands: The American Invasion of Iraq," joins us to discuss US Middle East policy. Medea Benjamin and Nicholas Davies have penned an outstanding article in which they pose the question as to what the US will do in the region after the scaling down of troops from Afghanistan. They ask about America's other endless war, the crime scene of occupation in Iraq.

Reuters reports that Haitian security forces apprehended more men today believed to have killed President Moïse at his home on Wednesday. Ajamu Baraka, former VP Candidate for the Green Party, joins us to discuss the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise. New reports indicate that the First Lady is still alive in a Miami hospital and more suspects involved in the attack have been apprehended.Taylor Hudak, journalist and editor of Activism Munich, and co-founder of Action for Assange joins us to discuss the Assange case. The High Court of Justice in the United Kingdom agreed this week to hear the United States government's appeal in the extradition case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on "limited grounds." Assange's partner Stella Moris said that the High Court rejected the efforts of the US government to "second guess the magistrates' conclusions on medical and expert evidence."Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss covid. President Joe Biden expressed increased concerns about coronavirus's delta variant and said door-to-door visits and visits to places of worship will happen this summer in an attempt to reach Americans who have not yet been vaccinated.Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of Veteran Intelligence, joins us to talk about this week's Anti-war.com article that declared Wednesday's New York Times article by David Sanger on Russian hackers to be a "big nothing-burger."James Carey, editor/co-owner at Geopoliticsalert.com, and Miko Peled, author and activist, come together to discuss Palestine. Palestinians, unable to reunite with their families, see no reward in ending the Israeli Citizenship Law.Danny Sjursen, retired US Army Major and author of "Patriotic Dissent: America in the Age of Endless War," joins us to talk about rocket attacks on US military bases in Syria and Iraq and the Katyusha's rockets that landed near the US embassy in Baghdad's highly fortified Green Zone.Martin Sieff, senior fellow at the American University in Moscow, joins us to discuss a report that says the founder of Blackwater had a $10 billion plan to develop weapons and create a private army in Ukraine.Nino Pagliccia, activist and writer, joins us to talk about Venezuela and Latin America. He discusses an Orinoco Tribune article that analyzes the real role of the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Venezuela. The article makes the case that these NGOs focus their activity to the "strategic and political control of society, to what euphemistically in the United States is called regime change."

Authorities clamp down on patients and medical providers. How the ‘War on Drugs' approach to the opioid crisis will cause needless harm.Mohammad Marandi, professor of English literature and Orientalism at the University of Tehran, and Ali Al-Ahmed, Saudi scholar, writer, and expert on Saudi political affairs, join us to talk about the recent visit to the White House by Saudi Arabia's deputy defense minister - and brother of the crown prince - Khalid bin Salman, how this may affect the reentry of the U.S. into the nuclear deal negotiations with Iran, and what this means for U.S. support for the Saudis in the war in Yemen. We also talk about the ongoing talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia and whether there will be a mend in the relations between the two countries. Yohana Beyene, member of the Black Alliance for Peace member organization Horn of Africa Pan-Africans for Liberation and Solidarity, joins us to talk about the ongoing crisis in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, what is being done to provide aid in the growing humanitarian crisis there, and the obstacles faced. We also talk about whether there will be a de-escalation in violence after the unilateral ceasefire by the Ethiopian government. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, talks to us about the opioid crisis, the way victims of the crisis and medical providers are being policed, how perpetrators in Big Pharma are generally being allowed to go unpunished, and how these policies lead to unnecessary deaths. Dr. Jack Rasmus, economist, radio show host & author of “The Scourge of Neoliberalism: US Economic Policy from Reagan to Trump,” talks to us about how healthy the economy actually is, what we can expect some of the political fallout to be if things peter out, rising prices for all commodities, and we take a look at our history to figure out how we got to this state in the first place.Freddy Martínez, Director of Lucy Parsons Lab, talks to us about the expansion of surveillance and data collection, particularly by financial companies and how they target children by marketing debit card apps. We also talk about how 20 federal agencies have worked with facial recognition technology, but 13 of those 20 couldn't say exactly what systems they had used.

Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, joins us to talk about Middle East policy. US President Joe Biden ordered airstrikes against Iraqi resistance militias along the Iraq-Syria border. The bombings have sparked new demands for US troops to leave the country and a pledge of retaliation from militia commanders. Martin Sieff, senior fellow at the American University in Moscow, joins us to discuss the Black Sea provocation by the UK Navy. In an odd turn of events, a large cache of classified documents was found at a British bus stop detailing the UK government's plans regarding the provocative military move near Crimea. The documents show that the British planned out the irresponsible provocation, and discussed the possibility that it could provoke a war.Joe Lauria, editor-in-chief at Consortium News, joins us to talk about Julian Assange. A principal witness in the US case against Julian Assange has collapsed the case by admitting that he lied. Consortiumnews.com is reporting that "Sigudur “Sigi” Ingi Thordarson has told an Icelandic publication in an article that appeared on Saturday that he made up the allegation that Assange asked him to hack a government computer." Also, he comments on the death of Mike Gravel.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss covid. Federal health officials argue that recent findings of cardiac risks for teens and young adults are outweighed by the benefits of the vaccine. Also, the spread of new covid variants is causing new restrictions worldwide. Greg Palast, investigative reporter, joins us to talk about politics. Establishment Democrats have created a new political action committee called "Team Blue,'' which appears to be set up intently to oppose progressive challengers to mainstream incumbents. Progressive observers argue that it is an effort to keep The Squad from growing. Nino Pagliccia, activist and writer, joins us to talk about the Global South. The US is blocking Venezuela from purchasing covid vaccines in a move that many are labeling biological warfare. Also, Nicaragua is arresting opposition figures that are running regime change CIA-funded operations and the corporate media is ignoring the context. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri- Kansas City, joins us to discuss the infrastructure bill. Dr. Tauheed explores the issue of "asset recycling" and whether the new infrastructure bill is simply another corporate giveaway. Miko Peled, author and activist, joins us to talk about Israel. After a lengthy investigation, Amnesty International has found that Israel used "ruthless excessive force" against Palestinian protesters. The international human rights organization claimed that “police used unnecessary and excessive force to disperse Palestinian protests against forced evictions in East Jerusalem, as well as against the Gaza offensive, while Jewish supremacists were allowed to organize demonstrations freely.”

Jamarl Thomas, host of Faultline Radio show, joins us from Europe where he is covering the meeting between Presidents Putin and Biden. The leaders of the most powerful military and nuclear nations on Earth meet in Geneva, Switzerland to discuss common interests. US neocon actors push Biden to confront the Russian president while progressives call for a resolution of disagreements and a peaceful outcome. George Koo, journalist, social activist, international business consultant, and chemical engineer, joins us to discuss China. The US left the G7 meeting frustrated as many of the European leaders balked at their call for confrontation with China. French President Emmanual Macron argued that China is not in the North Atlantic region, and therefore the NATO alliance should not seek enmity with the economic powerhouse. Also, Germany has a major automobile market in China and is reluctant to enter into any agreements that will damage its economic interests.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss the coronavirus. There are several dangerous covid variants and experts say that one particular strain is increasing at an alarming rate. Also, the US has passed another grim milestone as the number of covid deaths officially passes six hundred thousand.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon joins us to discuss Israel. The plight of the Palestinians remains the same as the new Israeli government opens its foreign actions by bombing a Palestinian town. Also, far right-wing Israelis march in the streets chanting "death to Arabs" as they assault Palestinian civilians. Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss NATO. Scott has a recent article in which he describes the relative weakness of NATO, and argues that the organization is fraudulently projecting military prowess that they can't back up. Also, the latest NATO summit showed that the group is now nothing more than a group of puppets reluctantly working on a misguided and futile mission to maintain US world hegemony.Caleb Maupin, journalist and political analyst, joins us to discuss YouTube censorship. Caleb recently experienced unexplained censorship from YouTube as he was unable to upload videos and he was not given a reason for the move. Also, a Russian politician has been blocked from posting a video about discrimination against the Russian Sputnik V vaccine.Ajamu Baraka, former vice presidential candidate for the Green Party, joins us to discuss Central and South America. Supporters of Peruvian leftist politician Pedro Castillo celebrate as the final numbers show him ahead by over 44,000 votes. Meanwhile, the right-wing opposition candidate is crying foul amid unsupported claims of election interference. Also, Rainer Shea has an article in the Orinoco Tribune in which he argues that the US empire is crashing as Latin America wrestles free from its oppressive grip.Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, joins us to discuss the media. Ted discusses the disingenuous nature of the corporate media. A current mainstream news article is misleadingly labeled "Progressive Dems urge Biden to get tough on Russia but Putin has a tradition of playing mind games with American presidents" but a careful inspection of the article's contents shows exactly the opposite. The article quotes Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) as saying "In these talks, we hope that you will prioritize ways that the United States and Russia can work together to reduce tensions in areas of dispute and cooperate on areas of global importance."

Robert Fantina, journalist and Palestine activist, joins us to discuss Iran. Iran is sending two navy ships to the Western hemisphere, and the US is arguing that they control the international waters in the vicinity. As US officials argue that they are working for free navigation in the South China Sea, they are doing the opposite in the waters of the Americas. Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss covid. Vaccination rates are slowing significantly, which may imperil the Biden administration's benchmarks for complete vaccination of the population. Also, the Biden administration is telling federal agencies that they should not require employees to be vaccinated. Max Blumenthal, investigative journalist, joins us to discuss his latest Grayzone article about Syria. Max's investigative report shows that the US propaganda machine is rebranding a Jihadi mercenary used for the Syrian dirty war as a legitimate asset. His article centers on a PBS "Frontline" story that recently aired. Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief at theduran.com and host of "The Alexander Mercouris Show" on YouTube, joins us to discuss Eastern Europe. Ukraine has drafted an "indigenous peoples" law that does not recognize ethnic Russians as a group. Observers fear that neo-Nazi ultra-nationalist are behind the legislation, and that it will be used to discriminate against the people of the Eastern breakaway republics.Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "America's Undeclared War," joins us to discuss US policy in the Middle East. An article in Responsible Statecraft argues that the days of pax Americana in the Middle East are over, America is suffering from imperial overstretch, and the nations in the area are now solving their own problems. Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, joins us to discuss China. China is arguing that the new US legislation designed to increase competitiveness is a remnant of Cold War thinking. Also, they have passed a new anti-sanctions bill which they say will work to mitigate hegemonic designs by Western powers.Julie Varughese, solidarity network coordinator for Black Alliance for Peace, joins us to discuss Afghanistan. Several articles indicate the US is not planning to fully leave Afghanistan. The US Air Force is considering how they will continue to bomb the nation after the air bases have been evacuated. Also, President Biden has stated that he will not take his eye off of terrorism in Afghanistan.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, joins us to discuss the moves for detente between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Saudi Arabia is involved in (not so) secret talks to work out their problems with Iran and Syria. Articles are appearing in US-funded media outlets, which lead some observers to believe that they are doing it with the blessing of the US empire.

Morgan Artyukhina, writer and news editor at Sputnik Washington, talks to us about how since 2008, troops trained by AFRICOM have been directly responsible for at least seven successful coups d’etat in Africa, with the most recent one taking place in Mali, how it original mission, which was ostensibly to fight terrorism, has now become just another way to project power through proxies, and how this practice could allow the U.S. to shift more resources towards its escalating tensions with China. Luis Garate, journalist and director of Comunicambio, an independent news media organization based in Perú, talks to us about the political climate in Perú ahead of the presidential election in June, how the country has become extremely polarized, and how conservative media in the country has been invoking the ghosts of Shining Path to discredit the leftist candidate Pedro Castillo, who currently leads in polls against convservative candidate Keiko Fujimori. We also talk about the recent victories of the left in Chile, which has resulted in a constitutional reform that could pave the way for significant social change in the country.Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, talks to us about how suicide, alcohol-related diseases, and accidental drug overdoses were the main factors driving a year-to-year drop in average life expectancy between 2015 and 2017 in the United States, and how deaths in all of those categories have soared over the past decade. We also talk about how these “diseases of despair” are connected to economic systems in which precarity and insecurity drive people to self-medicate out of desperation due to a lack of support and resources, and what we could do to solve this crisis.Linwood Tauheed, professor of economics at University of Missouri - Kansas City, and former president of the National Economic Association, talks to us about the Biden administration’s infrastructure spending plan, which could be significantly trimmed down from the original two trillion dollar proposal, what could be excluded from the plan, the plans to increase the corporate tax rate to 28%, and its chances in light of strong resistance in Congress.

Caleb Maupin, journalist and political analyst, joins us to discuss this week's stories. Glenn Greenwald confronts the corporate media's double standard attacks against independent media journalists. A fragile ceasefire in Gaza creates room for discussion of the suffering of Palestinians and Netanyahu's legal woes. Also, the negotiating parties may be closing in on an agreement to restart the Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri- Kansas City, joins us to discuss the long term economic policy changes in the US that recast the economy from mom-and-pop capitalism to a neoliberal disaster with income inequality unmatched since the infamous Gilded Age. Also, we discuss the latest job numbers and what they portend for a potential economic recovery. Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, and Dr. GiGi El-Bayoumi, professor of medicine and founding director of the Rodman Institute at George Washington Hospital, come together to talk COVID-19. The CDC's mask relaxation recommendations have drawn significant scrutiny, as many states and municipalities are choosing to ignore their recommendations and continue with mask mandates. Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief at theduran.com and host of "The Alexander Mercouris Show" on YouTube, joins Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, to talk foreign policy. New reports show that President Trump directed the military to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, and Germany, and that military leaders simply ignored his orders. Ukraine arrested Viktor Medvechuk, the leader of the main opposition party, after a poll showed that they are leading the current party in power. Also, President Biden seems to be backing off his mission to stop Germany and Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. Dr. Clarence Lusane, author, professor, and activist, and Dr. Gerald Horne, professor of history at the University of Houston, author, historian, and researcher, join us to discuss this week's stories. China argues that the US is turning the issue of democracy into a strategic weapon, and that their plan will be disrupted by the contradictions of their non-democratic autocratic allies. They also discuss the need to mothball the US drone policies and the Israel-Palestine crisis.

Ariel Gold, co-founder of Code Pink, and Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, join us to discuss Israel. Israeli airstrikes killed twenty Palestinians, including 9 children, as tensions continue to rise over the brutal crackdown in Jerusalem. However, when asked if the Palestianians have a right to self defense, US State Department spokesman Ned Price answered, “Broadly speaking, we believe in the concept of self-defense. We believe it applies to any state.”Wyatt Reed, Sputnik producer and writer, joins us to discuss Colombia. Wyatt is in Colombia covering the massive protests and government violence. The Colombian people have taken to the streets to oppose neoliberal economic policies, including proposals for worsening the nation's regressive tax structure.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to talk about covid. A new "variant of concern" has been discovered in India. Also, there is an ongoing discussion about the vaccination of adolescents.Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "America's Undeclared War," joins us to talk about the US Coast Guard. In what should be reported as a strange occurrence, US Coast Guard vessels are now being used as normal navy patrol boats. Recent reports show that Coast Guard cutters are patrolling the straits of Hormuz off the coast of Iran and in the South China Sea under the absurd guise of monitoring fishing activity.K. J. Noh, peace activist, writer and teacher, joins us to discuss China. A spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry states that China has to speak up for itself and oppose US global hegemony. Also, Hua Chunying, the spokesperson, pointed out that China, as the second-largest economy and the largest developing country in the world, deserves to have a voice in the global public opinion domain. Dan Kovalik, writer and human rights activist, joins us to discuss Venezuela. Recent investigations reveal that neighboring Columbia has been involved in numerous attempts to overthrow the government of Venezuela and assassinate President Nicholas Maduro. Also, so-called humanitarian aid from USAID has been used for regime change operations in the besieged nation.Gerald Horne, professor of history at the University of Houston, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss Iran. Iran reports that US demands outside of the original JCPOA nuclear deal are complicating matters. Also, notorious neocon war hawks are intentionally disrupting negotiations by arguing that any sanctions relief enacted by President Biden will be easily undone by Congress.Niko House, political activist and independent journalist, joins us to discuss domestic spying. The Biden administration is upping the domestic spying anti as they work on using private security firms to bypass the Constitution while spying on Americans.

Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri- Kansas City, joins us to discuss a recent poll regarding worldwide threats to democracy. A poll found that globally, the US is seen as a bigger threat to democracy than Russia or China. The poll was conducted by a pro-NATO think tank that is headed by a former NATO Secretary General. Two of the principal reasons are the inequality and power of technology, as well as social media corporations mostly based in Silicon Valley.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist. President Biden has committed to waiving patents for vaccines which are drawing fire from Big Pharma. Also, the CDC says that covid may be under control this summer.Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "America's Undeclared War," joins us to talk about Syria. Russia has dismissed the US criticism of their role in Syria arguing that they have been invited by the legitimate government and the US is illegally occupying Syria's heartland. Also, Iran is supporting the Syrian government's right to hold elections.K. J. Noh, peace activist, writer, and teacher joins us to discuss China. Many DC neocons are arguing that President Biden should vow to defend Taiwan militarily against China. Also, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said that the rise of China threatens the US' status as the world's dominant military player.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, joins us to discuss Iran. Iran and Saudi Arabia are involved in serious talks to lower tensions. Laith gives us the back story as to why these long-term adversaries seem to be burying the hatchet.Nick Davies, peace activist and author of "Blood on Our Hands: The American Invasion of Iraq," joins us to discuss India. A recent report argues that the extremist neoliberal economic policies of the Indian government are the main reason for the covid disaster.Adam Eidinger, Washington, DC-based cannabis prohibition activist, joins us to discuss the drug war. The state's attorney for the city of Baltimore, Maryland, Marilyn Moseby, is declaring that the drug war is over and therefore refuses to prosecute small-time drug and prostitution offenses. Also, the war on drugs is creating the disastrous violence that has cost so many lives in Mexico.Robert Fantina, journalist and Palestine activist, joins us to discuss Israel. Palestinian activists are successfully engaging in anti-occupation activities using international legal bodies. Also, international pro-Israel lobby groups are arguing for changes in the definition of antisemitism.

Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of Veteran Intelligence, joins us to discuss the latest on Russia-gate. Several major outlets are retracting claims that Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani was warned that he was the target of a Russian influence campaign. Marvin Weinbaum, director for the Middle East Institute's Center for Pakistan and Afghanistan Studies, joins us to discuss Afghanistan. The Taliban is warning that they may restart attacks on US troops now that the May 1st deadline has passed. Also, Hillary Clinton and Condi Rice are speaking out against Afghanistan troop withdrawal.Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, joins us to discuss Ukrainian Nazis. Far-right extremists are marching in Ukraine, as many celebrate the grim anniversary of the Odessa massacre. Also, reports from Ukraine claim that President Zelensky is moving to consolidate his support among nationalists. Dr. Yolandra Hancock, a board-certified pediatrician and obesity-medicine specialist, joins us to discuss covid. Coronavirus cases are ebbing as the spring wave of infections seems to be falling off. Also, Senator Bernie Sanders is pushing for big pharma to be forced to share their vaccine technology in a move to combat the virus worldwide.Talk show host and political scientist, Dr. Wilmer Leon, joins us to discuss US foreign policy. Alan Macleod's latest article argues that US foreign policy is inconsistent, in that we call certain acts aggression for our adversaries, but we look the other way when allies do the same things. Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss US-Russia relations. In a battle of tit-for-tat diplomatic moves, the US is reducing their Moscow embassy staff by 75% and ending visa services for most Russians.Caleb Maupin, journalist and political analyst, joins us to discuss May Day. Many lefties are furious that President Joe Biden declared May 1st as Loyalty Day. Loyalty Day is considered an anti-left date that was enacted during the Red Scare.Teri Mattson, the Latin America coordinator for Code Pink, joins us to discuss Nicaragua. US regime change neocons are befuddled over the ability of Nicaragua to withstand long term oppression and sanctions.

Caleb Maupin, journalist and political analyst, joins us to talk about this week's important stories. The US is playing dangerous games that flirt with nuclear disaster and the American people are woefully unaware of the danger. Also, President Biden needs to abandon the Cold War confrontation with China in order to adequately address the issue of climate change.Dr. Jack Rasmus, professor in the Economics and Politics Departments at St. Mary's College of California, joins us to discuss several important issues related to the economy. Jobless claims have hit an all-time low for the pandemic. Is the bump in jobs a temporary benefit of the stimulus package, or is the economy waking up from its year-long slumber? Also, officials from several powerful nations are meeting to discuss climate change and the final day will focus on innovation. Dr. Jehan "Gigi" El-Bayoumi, professor of medicine and founding director of the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences' Rodman Institute, and Dr. Yolandra Hancock, a board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, join us to discuss the latest coronavirus news. A US panel will be meeting today to discuss the future of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, as blood clot issues continue to raise concern. Also, many healthcare workers are considering leaving the profession due to overwork and burnout from the COVID-19 pandemic.Ajamu Baraka, former VP candidate for the Green Party, and Netfa Freeman, host of Voices With Vision on WPFW 89.3 FM, pan-Africanist and internationalist organizer, join us to discuss issues in the Global South. Raul Castro has retired from his position as Cuban leader and is being replaced by long-time ally Miguel Diaz-Canel. Also, Haiti fights back against colonialism, and Juan Guaido steals over 150 million dollars from Venezuela's funds.Ray Baker, political analyst and host of the podcast Public Agenda, and Jim Kavanagh, a writer at The Polemicist and CounterPunch and author of "The American Farce Unravels: Shreds of January 6th," join us to discuss critical stories for the week. Civil liberties activists are extremely alarmed as multiple reports have come out exposing that the United States Postal Service is involved in a covert operation that monitors social media posts. Also, Vice President Kamala Harris is moving forward with a questionable strategy for addressing the migrant crisis, and America refuses to spend the nominal amount necessary to end homelessness.

John Burris, civil rights attorney, joins us to discuss the shooting of Daunte Wright. Tense times continue in Minneapolis, as pepper spray and rubber bullets fly and 60 people are arrested. Also, Washington County attorney Pete Orput has been charged with handling the decision of potential prosecutions to avoid the appearance of conflicts of interest.Mark Sleboda, a Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss the phone call between President Putin and Biden. President Putin outlined a political settlement for the current military crisis in Ukraine. Putin's position is that the settlement should be rooted in the "Minsk package of measures."Julie Varughese, Solidarity Network Coordinator for the Black Alliance for Peace, joins us to discuss Afghanistan. President Biden has stated that US troops will leave Afghanistan by September 11, 2021. While there is some level of jubilation amongst anti-war activists, there is also great trepidation over the possibility of this move turning out to be a tactic for further delay. Also, the Taliban has announced that they will not attend any peace talks until US troops no longer occupy their nation.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss the current state of covid vaccination. The US' unofficial covid czar Dr. Anthony Fauci advises that he sees similarities between clotting issues that have arisen as a result of both the AstroZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Also, increasing reports of side effects are slowing the world vaccine drive.Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss Iran. Iran has announced that they intend to enrich uranium to 60% by next week, in response to a recent terrorist attack by Israel. Also, Secretary of Defense and former Raytheon board member Loyd Austin advised Israel that the United States will not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.Kweku Lamumba, external relations coordinator for KOSSSA, joins us to discuss Haiti. Haiti prime minister Joseph Jouthe has resigned, as the island nation has devolved into chaos over the illegal extension in office of US-backed president Jovenel Moise. As Jouthe is a supporter of Moise, opposition figures are asking if this is an example of rats jumping off a sinking ship or possibly offering him as a sacrifice in hopes of appeasing the opposition? Nicholas Davies, peace activist and author of "Blood on Our Hands: the American Invasion of Iraq," joins us to discuss US weapons sales. The US State Department has announced that they intend to move forward with the Trump administration's deal to sell 23 billion dollars in arms to the United Arab Emirates. The deal was crafted by the Trump foreign policy team as a sweetener for the agreement to normalize relations with Israel.Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "America's Undeclared War," joins us to discuss US endless wars. In a detailed article in Newsweek, William M. Arkin writes that America can't stop its endless wars. He articulates in detail the development of a US war infrastructure that has made ongoing military conflict an integral part of our economic and political reality. He also explains how the US has developed methods for fighting war without the need for troops on the ground in targeted nations.

Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief at theduran.com & host of "The Duran" on Youtube, joins us to discuss the latest news on the Hunter Biden laptop story. NPR was forced to retract a false assertion in which they claimed that the story was discredited by US intelligence agencies. Also, law professor Jonathan Turley argues that the press has never covered the story in a frank manner.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, joins us to discuss Jordan. The kingdom of Jordan was thrown into chaos as news of an attempted coup shocked the region. Also, the relationship between Israel and Jordan has hit a low point, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to approve the supply of water to Jordan as provided under the 1994 Wadi Araba peace agreement.Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations and security analyst, joins us to discuss international politics with a focus on Eastern Europe. The government of Ukraine has created an extremely dangerous situation as they have amassed troops and war material near the breakaway regions in the East, and also near the border with Crimea. Also, many are questioning whether the Biden administration will be stirring up trouble in the Georgia Caucasus region as the extremist neo-cons return to power in DC.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss coronavirus news. Experts are reviewing the latest coronavirus numbers to determine if it is evidence of what has been dubbed a "fourth wave" of infections. Also, the pandemic seems to be spiraling out of control in India, as they are now recording 100,000 cases daily. Miko Peled, author and activist, joins us to discuss Israel. Israeli officials have opposed democracy for the Palestinians, as they threaten to "stop everything" if the Palestinians exercise their right to self-determination and choose Hamas as their political representatives in upcoming elections. Also, testimony in the Netanyahu corruption trial moves forward, as a former editor at a news site says that he was instructed to put out positive stories about the Prime Minister and his wife.Scott Ritter, the former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss US policy in the Middle East. Leading up to an important meeting in Vienna, Iran has reiterated their position that the US must agree to lift sanctions and return to the nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) without compromise. Also, Israeli officials continue to voice their displeasure that the Biden administration is considering returning to the agreement. Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "The Velvet Coup: The Constitution, the Supreme Court and the Decline of American Democracy," joins us to discuss Venezuela. Two months into the Biden administration, many are wondering if he has started a hot war with Venezuela. Military skirmishes along the border between Venezuela and Columbia are believed to be a product of US intervention and part of Biden's plan to overthrow the oil-rich nation. Gerald Horne, professor of history at the University of Houston, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On the anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King, Norm Solomon and Jeff Cohen wrote an article in Consortium News in which they discuss the liberal contempt for Dr. King's opposition to US militarism during the final year of his life.

Professor Richard Lachman, professor at the University at Albany, SUNY and author of "Capitalists in Spite of Themselves," joins us to discuss the George Floyd trial. Day one of the Derek Chavin trial featured the defense and the prosecution painting dramatically different pictures of the death of George Floyd. Floyd's murder sparked protests and unrest for months in the US and beyond. Several jurors seem to exhibit emotional reactions when a video of Floyd's death was played in court.Robert Fantina, journalist and Palestine activist, joins us to discuss Iran. US officials have prepared a new proposal to rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). However, Iran has already signaled that they will not accept any modifications or renegotiations for the deal. Also, Iranian elections are on the horizon, and international security analysts speculate that hardliners will likely take power and reject all overtures from the US for a return to the agreement.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, a board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss the latest coronavirus news. US health officials are sounding the alarm as covid numbers rise by almost twelve percent. Also, New York Governor Cuomo faces new allegations of impropriety as evidence of bias towards his close associates have been unearthed.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, joins us to discuss Syria. There are fresh allegations that the US is involved in the theft and smuggling of Syria's oil and wheat, as devastating sanctions create famine and death in the besieged nation. Also, former US Senator Richard Black has come out in opposition to US activities in Syria, including supporting Jihadis, pillaging natural resources, and maintaining an illegal occupation.Dr. Jack Rasmus, professor in both the economics and politics departments at St. Mary's College of California, joins us to discuss the economy. President Biden is facing pressure from the left to hearken back to FDR's legacy when creating his infrastructure plan. This would mean a massive deal that focuses on long-term job creation. Also, the pandemic has accelerated retirements, which some argue has negative effects on economic growth. Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "The Velvet Coup: The Constitution, the Supreme Court and the Decline of American Democracy," joins us to discuss China. China and Iran have signed a massive economic agreement which is expected to complicate the US plans to use coercive sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Also, China has issued a rebuttal to President Biden's argument that he is representing democratic forces of the world who are aligned against autocracy. Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss US Middle East policy. The Biden administration is signaling that they have no intention of sticking to the peace agreement requiring the removal of US troops by May 1. Also, the Iraqi parliament is expected to push hard for the removal of troops and an end to the US occupation of their nation. The Biden team has been silent and appears set to reject their appeal. Miko Peled, author and activist, joins us to discuss Israel. In his latest Mintpress News article, Peled argues that Israel creates enemies by its own criminal behavior and "then claims the right to protect itself from the very people it alienated through these criminal acts." He goes on to discuss Israel's use of language to hide their brutal oppression of the Palestinians.

Dr. Emmit Riley, political scientist and assistant professor of Africana Studies at DePauw University, joins us to review the important domestic policy stories for the week. Democrats and Republicans wrangle over the future of the filibuster. Republican legislators in Georgia have introduced a voting bill that would significantly affect voting rights in the Southern state, and Asian Americans fear more violence as the US continues to spread negative propaganda against China.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, a board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss the latest coronavirus news. Dr. Anthony Fauci argued with libertarian Senator Rand Paul over the need for masks in the fight against COVID. Also, 40% of all US health workers have not been vaccinated and the US has vaccinated approximately 100 million of its citizens.Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri- Kansas City, joins us to discuss the pandemic economy. Jobless claims rose by 50,000 for the week ending on March 13th despite most businesses in the US reopening. Also, progressive members of the US House of Representatives are continuing to pressure the Biden administration in their fight for an increase in the minimum wage.Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, and Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief at TheDuran.com and host of "The Duran" on YouTube, come together to discuss this week's breaking news regarding Russia and China. US President Joe Biden shocked many in the diplomatic community with a clumsy verbal attack on Russian President Vladimir Putin. US intelligence agencies have launched new claims of election interference against Russia and a long list of other official adversaries, and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has announced that he will be visiting China two days after the meeting with US officials.Margaret Kimberley, editor and senior columnist at Black Agenda Report and author of "Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents," and Dan Kovalik, labor and human rights lawyer, professor, and author, come together to discuss foreign policy. US intelligence agencies have once again released a report with dubious allegations of election interference against a number of nations and international groups that "coincidentally" happen to be on their list for sanctions and/or regime change. Also, the US government is supporting the dictatorial government of Haitian dictator Jovenel Moise, and Black Agenda Report contributor Danny Haiphong has a new article in which he argues that “Humanitarian interventionist lies represent the most dangerous form of misinformation currently fueling the U.S.'s new Cold War.”

Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity-medicine specialist, joins us to discuss the COVID health crisis. AstraZeneca is struggling to address concerns, as fear of instances of blood clots occurring shortly after patients receiving their vaccine increases. Also, the questions surrounding the correct use of ventilators are in the news again, as health workers across the UK report numerous instances of patients refusing ventilators due to fears associated with overuse of the machines early in the pandemic.James Carey, editor and co-owner of Geopoliticsalert.com, joins us to discuss Afghanistan. Negotiations for an end to the US occupation are floundering, as the Taliban wants US soldiers completely out of the country, and the current government wants them to stay and, on some level, guarantee their survival. Also, recent reports show that the US has approximately one thousand more troops in the war-torn nation than previously reported, and the Biden team is working to buy more time and bypass the previously negotiated May first pullout date.Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of both Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity and the Atlantic Council, a NATO-funded anti-Russia think tank, is struggling with an internal battle over their position on Russia. Recently, two of their employees penned an article pushing for a less confrontational position. They argued that the US should reduce their dependence on the issue of human rights in their approach to the Russian Federation. The article was immediately attacked by the traditional cold warriors and twenty-two Atlantic Council fellows signed a statement denouncing the article. Jareth Copus, author of "Ukraine: Forever a Pawn," returns to discuss the situation in Eastern Ukraine. Concerns over the possibility of a Ukrainian military offensive have been rising lately as the Zelensky government appears to be moving large numbers of troops and war material to the front. Copus also gives us a brief history of the war-torn nation with a particular focus on the Eastern region and how the 2014 US-backed coup affected its inhabitants. Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, joins us to talk about the sanctions on Syria. The citizens of Syria are facing starvation and death, as draconian US sanctions devastate the nation's ability to survive. Also, a group of sixteen nations are coming together to petition the UN for action and the Russian Ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin, criticized the sanctions, imposed by the UK, the US, and several other countries against Syria, calling these sanctions morally bankrupt and unacceptable.Kathy Kelly, American peace activist, founding member of Voices in the Wilderness and co-coordinator for Voices for Creative Nonviolence, joins us to discuss Yemen. The Yemen resistance fighters seem to have given up on the promises of a reduction in violence from the Biden administration and are moving to recapture the oil-rich region of Marib. The Houthi fighters tout a recent report that the Saudi military has positioned a large number of extremist jihadi fighters in the region as part of their incentive to recapture one of their centers of natural resources.Dan Kovalik, writer, author, and lawyer, joins us to discuss Iran. Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif has warned the US that their elections in June will be a hindrance to getting a deal to reinstate the nuclear deal. Iran argues that the six-month lame-duck period after the elections will prevent the parliament from effectively participating in ratifying any agreements. Meanwhile, Biden representatives signal that they have no intention of moving forward anytime soon, and their actions imply that rejoining the agreement is a low priority on their foreign policy agenda.Carlos Castaneda, immigration lawyer, joins us to discuss immigration. The US House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on two bills that could millions of people who are currently classified as illegal or undocumented immigrants are provided a path to citizenship. One of the bills would focus on young people eligible for the "dreamers" program and the second would address farmworkers.

Ted Rall, a political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, joins us to review the important stories for the week. Governor Andrew Cuomo is facing impeachment procedures as he refuses to step down in the face of multiple allegations of sexually inappropriate actions. Also, the George Floyd trial begins and a bipartisan group of congressional war hawks works to undermine a US return to the Iran nuclear agreement (JCPOA). Richard Wolff, Professor of Economics, Host of "Democracy At Work" on YouTube, joins us to discuss this week's economic stories. Professor Wolff discusses the 1.9 trillion dollar COVID-relief package, and gives our hosts his idea of what would be necessary to address both proximate and structural problems in the US economy. Also, Dr. Wolff critiques the economic response to the economic fallout from the pandemic.Dr. Jehan "Gigi" El-Bayoumi, professor of medicine and founding director of the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences' Rodman Institute, and Dr. Yolandra Hancock, a board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, join us to discuss the latest coronavirus news. The doctors discuss the current status of vaccine distribution and efficacy. President Biden tells the states to make the vaccine available to all adults by May 1st. Also, a new movement is pushing for #peoplesvaccine day of action to eliminate vaccine patents.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, and Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief at TheDuran.com and host of "The Duran" on YouTube, come together to discuss Russia-China unity. Russia and China are forming a unified front against imperialism and unilateralism. Our guests describe the US policies that have driven these two powerful nations to determine that they must unite to oppose US world hegemony. Also, they discuss Middle East geopolitics, and a new 16 nation group that is forming at the UN to oppose a unipolar world order.Margaret Kimberley, editor and senior columnist at Black Agenda Report and author of "Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents," and Gary Flowers, radio talk show host and public policy analyst, join us for a panel discussion. A number of activists are pushing Chuck Schumer to eliminate the filibuster in light of a unified front from the GOP opposing President Biden's agenda. Should they act to eliminate this vestige of Jim Crow politics or would the long-term danger of radical legislation be too great of a threat? Also, Andrew Cuomo is facing possible impeachment as more women come out with stories of sexual harassment, and progressives are losing patience with Biden's Iran policy.

A reporter for The Des Moines Register is facing charges for her arrest while covering the George Floyd protests last summer.Dr. Colin Campbell, a Washington, DC, news correspondent, joins us to discuss a journalist who is facing criminal charges for her reporting. Andrea Sahouri, a public-safety reporter for The Des Moines Register, was pepper-sprayed and arrested while covering protests last summer even though she identified herself as a member of the press corps. First Amendment activists are arguing that she was illegally arrested simply for doing her job. Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity-medicine specialist, joins us to discuss coronavirus news. The lax delivery of the vaccine to developing nations is likely to cause long-term problems in helping the world recover from the deadly pandemic. Also, a new Brazilian COVID variant seems to be spreading rapidly, but tests show that the Pfizer vaccine is effective in countering it. Also, about one-third of all GOP voters say that they will not get vaccinated.Leo Flores, Latin America coordinator for Code Pink, joins us to discuss politics in the global south. Brazilian politician Lula De Silva has been cleared of all criminal allegations, and he looks to be planning a run for the nation's top seat. De Silva was the target of a sinister plot known as "Operation Car Wash," in which politicians and members of the judiciary worked together to frame him for a crime that he did not commit. Also, Evo Morales' Mas party is increasing its power as it dominates local elections in Bolivia.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, joins us to discuss the Pope's visit to Iraq. The Pope's visit to Iraq was significant in that the anti-war, anti-genocide, and anti-sectarian discussion runs afoul of the Western imperialist agenda. Also, it is conspicuous that western media outlets are failing to report on the first meeting since the 7th century between a Roman Catholic Pope and a Shiite spiritual leader. Medea Benjamin, the founder of Code Pink, joins us to discuss a Mintpress article that uses her research. Codepink research shows that the US has dropped an average of 465 bombs per day for the last 20 years in the greater Middle East/North Africa region. CODEPINK's numbers are based primarily on official U.S. military releases, as well as data from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, the Yemen Data Project, and the New America Foundation.Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss US-Russia relations. The Kremlin is showing great concern over a threat by the Biden administration to launch a major cyberwar operation against the Russian Federation. Also, leaders of the Democratic Party are working arduously to return the world to the dangerous Cold War-era.K. J. Noh, peace activist, writer, and teacher, joins us to discuss China. Chinese President Xi Jinping argues that Russia and China need to work together to thwart color revolutions and US-led regime change efforts. Also, Alexey Maslov, Director of the Institute of the Far East at the Russian Academy of Sciences, asserts that the US "won't let China offer its high technology to, first and foremost, Western European countries, as well as African and Latin American states."

Caleb Maupin, journalist and political analyst, joins us to talk about this week's important stories. The bombing of Syria and hyperbolic statements about Russia and China seem to indicate that the Biden administration is set to follow a costly path of empire and world domination that is doomed to fail. Also, Israel is signaling that they are preparing for an attack on Iran, and President Biden renews crushing sanctions on Venezuela. Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri- Kansas City, joins us to discuss the pandemic economy. President Biden is taking fire from the left over his decision to restrict the eligibility requirements for those who will receive COVID-relief payments. Also, GOP leaders are pulling out all stops to hinder the advancement of Biden's 1.9 trillion dollar COVID-relief plan, and the economy added 379,000 jobs in February. Dr. Jehan "Gigi" El-Bayoumi, professor of medicine and founding director of the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences' Rodman Institute, and Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity-medicine specialist, join us to discuss the latest coronavirus news. As coronavirus numbers plateau, several states are moving to reopen fully and eliminate mask mandates. Also, researchers find that the popular handheld temperature scanners can be wildly inaccurate, and Texas leaders are blaming immigrants for spreading the virus in their state.Margaret Kimberley, editor and senior columnist at Black Agenda Report and author of "Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents," and Dan Kovalik, labor and human rights lawyer, professor, and author, come together to discuss foreign policy. The people of Haiti continue to fill the streets in opposition to the US-supported dictator Jovenel Moise. Also, Secretary of State Tony Blinken argues China is blocking the US from setting the world agenda, and Russia is blasting the latest round of sanctions levied by the US and the European Union.Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, and James Carey, editor and co-owner of Geopolitics Alert, joins us to talk about foreign policy. President Joe Biden is following in the footsteps of the previous president, Donald Trump, in continuing to pursue the prosecution of Julian Assange. Also, Israel is bragging that the US has agreed to consult with them before making any decisions related to Iran.

Caleb Maupin, journalist and political analyst, joins us to talk about this week's important stories. The US war machine is back in full swing as President Biden ordered an illegal airstrike against Syria, while Congress dawdles over an economic relief bill. Also, Biden spoke with the King of Saudi Arabia in preparation for the release of a report about the killing of Jamaal Khashoggi, and Iran goes after Israel for recent activity at their clandestine nuclear weapons facility.Dr. Jack Rasmus, professor in the Economics and Politics Departments at St. Mary's College of California, joins us to discuss economic news for the week. The push for a 15-dollar minimum wage is waning as progressive Democrats in the House of Representatives warn that failure to pass the legislation will cost the party dearly in the midterms. Additionally, Dr. Jack is warning that a number of significant economic red flags are showing, and President Biden's argument against student debt relief is panned and rebutted by a Harvard newspaper. Dr. Jehan "Gigi" El-Bayoumi, professor of medicine and founding director of the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences' Rodman Institute; and Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, join us to discuss the latest coronavirus news. A New York Times story argues that a combination of vaccine therapy and an abundance of caution could allow a return to normal life by mid-summer. Also, two new studies seem to show that a single Pfizer dose is sufficient for people who have had COVID and have some level of resistance.Ajamu Baraka, former VP Candidate for the Green Party, and Dan Kovalik, labor and human rights lawyer, professor, and author come together to discuss foreign policy. Friend of the show Professor Danny Shaw reports from Haiti that the people are in total revolt over the US-backed dictator Jovenel Moise's refusal to leave office at the constitutionally mandated time. Joe Biden has launched airstrikes in Syria, Secretary of State Tony Blinken is threatening a long list of "adversaries" including Venezuela, Iran, Nicaragua, China, Cuba, and Russia, and President Biden continues Trump's maximum pressure campaign against Iran. Dr. Emmit Riley, political scientist and assistant professor of Africana Studies at DePauw University, and Ray Baker, political analyst and host of the podcast Public Agenda, join us to talk about domestic politics. The US accounts for 40.3 percent of the world's military spending, and China is a distant second with 10 percent. Is this sustainable as the citizens face a pandemic-related economic catastrophe? Also, progressives press VP Kamala Harris to intervene on behalf of the fight for a fifteen-dollar minimum wage and Trump flexes his political muscles as he still dominates the GOP landscape.

Caleb Maupin, journalist and political analyst, joins us to talk about this week's important stories. The Biden administration is signaling that they will meet with Iranian diplomats regarding the JCPOA. However, Iran has made it clear that they will not renegotiate any of the previously determined parameters of the agreement. Also, Texas is rattled by the tragic circumstances brought about by a freak weather pattern and the State's inability to provide basic services. Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri- Kansas City, joins us to discuss the economy. New unemployment numbers are signaling that the economy is on a downward trajectory. Also, millions of jobs are related to industries that may never come back and are in desperate need of retraining, and West Virginians are blasting pro-austerity Senator Joe Manchin for refusing to support an increased minimum wage. Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss coronavirus news. The coronavirus pandemic and its related maladies have lowered the life expectancy in America by one year. Also, the vaccine rollout is experiencing some major problems related to weather and the need for special storage conditions, and the Pfizer vaccine may be effective enough with one dose to allow patients to forego the normally required second regiment. Danny Haiphong, author and contributor to Black Agenda Report, teams up with Margaret Kimberley, editor and senior columnist at Black Agenda Report and author of "Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents," to discuss news stories of the week. Hundreds of thousands of Haitians are taking to the streets to protest the illegally-extended presidential term of the US-backed dictator Jovenel Moise. Also, they discuss the massive scandal surrounding New York governor Andrew Cuomo, and the tragic circumstances experienced by hundreds of thousands of Texans with no electricity or water. Dr. Margaret Flowers, pediatrician, health reform activist and co-director at Popular Resistance, and Niko House, political activist, independent journalist and podcaster, joins us to discuss the news. A recent economic study shows that Joe Biden's argument against student debt relief is incorrect. The study shows that "Young adult borrowers in low- and lower-middle-income communities would receive an outsized share of forgiveness in aggregate dollars compared to middle and upper-income communities." Biden has argued that the wealthy who attend elite universities would benefit the most. Also, how will Facebook's move to stop all news content in Australia affect the future of social media?

Washington, DC news correspondent Dr. Colin Campbell joins us to discuss the scandal in New York. Governor Andrew Cuomo is facing increasing pressure as legislators in his own party move to restrict his power. Meanwhile, Cuomo is taking an authoritarian position as he threatens to retaliate rather than negotiate. Also, the federal government is considering opening a probe into his actions during the spring of 2020. Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss the coronavirus. The Pfizer vaccine is being reconsidered for a second dose as the first dose seems to be highly effective. Also, COVID deaths along with heart attacks, drug overdoses and other pandemic-related illnesses has caused life expectancy to drop a full year in the United States. Dr. Emmitt Riley, a political scientist and assistant professor of Africana studies at DePauw University, joins us to talk about Texas. Texas governor Greg Abbott is facing mounting opposition as the storm related power outages cause misery for millions. Meanwhile, the loss of power is creating supply chain shortages and food, water, and basic supplies are getting scarce. Jim Kavanagh, a writer at The Polemicist and CounterPunch and author of "The American Farce Unravels: Shreds of January 6th," joins us to discuss domestic politics. Former President Trump launched a devastating attack on Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, in which he unveiled his plan to primary establishment congressional Republicans. Also, a number of civil libertarian and human rights organizations are pushing President Joe Biden to halt the use of "dangerous" facial recognition technology.Kevin Gosztola, managing editor of Shadowproof.com, joins us to discuss US sanctions. The Trump administration created a suite of sanctions that was nicknamed the "sanctions wall," designed to dissuade future presidents from rejoining the Iran nuclear agreement. Will the Biden team bypass the roadblock or use it as an excuse? Also, a New York Times article discusses America's use of sanctions as a basis for statecraft, arguing that "not only does it consistently fail to advance U.S. interests, it actually mitigates Washington's influence, while leaving behind a trail of worsening humanitarian woes." Medea Benjamin, the founder of Code Pink, joins us to discuss endless wars. In her latest article, Medea and Nicholas Davies argue that "Electing Joe Biden is not enough to ensure a saner and less belligerent foreign policy." They discuss the US war machine from a historical perspective, and in that light they say that the war machine is just the same monstrous beast under new management. Teri Mattson, Latin America coordinator for Code Pink, joins us to discuss the Biden administration's complaint that Nicaragua has followed in their footsteps by enacting a "foreign agent registration act" and requiring US funded NGOs to register. Also, Ecuadorian voters face down a massive coalition of US, OAS, and Columbian operatives working to interfere with their election on behalf of right-wing candidates. Marvin Weinbaum, scholar-in-residence and director of the Middle East Institute's Center for Pakistan and Afghanistan Studies, joins us to discuss Afghanistan. The Biden administration and their EU junior partners are indicating that they plan to renege on former President Trump's deal to leave the war torn nation. Also, the Taliban is signaling that they are ready to launch a major offensive if their peace deal is abandoned. Will the Afghanistan war fire back up in the near future?

Caleb Maupin, a journalist and political analyst, joins us to talk about this week's important stories. A hawkish Pentagon task force has been created to address US policy towards China. Also, a group of administrators from the George W. Bush administration are working to create a new party that divorces their brand of hawkish neoliberal conservatism from the Trump wing of the Republican Party. Dr. Jehan "Gigi" El-Bayoumi, a professor of medicine and the founding director of the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences' Rodman Institute, and Dr. Yolandra Hancock, a board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, join us to discuss the latest coronavirus news. Several dangerous COVID-19 variants have been detected in the Washington, DC area, and vaccination sites are opening nationwide as more pandemic hurdles arise. Also, the Russian Sputnik V vaccine is enjoying worldwide success, with Germany considering employing it in their fight against the pandemic. Dr. Linwood Tauheed, an associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, joins us to discuss economic news for the week. Job openings jumped by 74,000 in December, as state and local governments joined the arts and entertainment industry as one of the hardest-hit sectors. Also, the Biden team is rescinding a Trump administration policy allowing states to impose punitive work requirements on Medicaid recipients - this comes roughly a month before the US Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a case specifically addressing this matter. Dan Lazare, an investigative journalist and author of "The Velvet Coup: The Constitution, the Supreme Court and the Decline of American Democracy," and Dan Kovalik, a labor and human rights lawyer, professor and author, come together to discuss foreign policy. US President Joe Biden is continuing former President Donald Trump's foreign policies in the Middle East and China, opting to institute more hawkish tendencies in some regions of the world. Also, online censorship increases as Facebook hires former NATO press officer Ben Nimmo as their intelligence chief. Lastly, the Biden administration has announced they will be continuing to pursue the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and expand domestic terrorism laws. Dr. Clarence Lusane, an author, activist and political science professor at Howard University, and Gary Flowers, a radio talk show host and public policy analyst, join us to talk about domestic politics. House Democrats have concluded impeachment procedures knowing there is virtually no chance of a conviction. Also, the Republican Party is facing major fissures in its political coalition as establishment GOP members consider starting a new party as polls show 70% of the rank-and-file politicians would join a new party started by former President Donald Trump.

Dr. Colin Campbell, a Washington, DC, news correspondent, joins us to discuss the second impeachment trial of former US President Donald Trump. Trump's legal team has indicated they intend to employ the strategy of posing big constitutional questions. The attorneys will argue that the impeachment procedures are unconstitutional because the former president is no longer in office, and that the speech he made on January 6th was protected under the First Amendment. Steve Poikonen, a national organizer for the Action 4 Assange group, joins us to discuss the plight of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. A coalition of organizations, headlined by the ACLU and Human Rights Watch, sent a letter to the US Department of Justice requesting they drop all charges and stop the attempt to extradite the beleaguered journalist to the US. Parker Higgins, who serves as the advocacy director at Freedom of the Press Foundation, has called the charges against Assange "among the most disastrous press freedom issues in the country." Wyatt Reed, a Sputnik News analyst and producer for Radio Sputnik's By Any Means Necessary, joins us to discuss the Ecuador elections. Anti-IMF candidate Andrés Arauz won the top spot in the first round of the Ecuadorian elections by a wide margin, as other candidates scramble to see who won a tight second-place finish. Also, a long history of illegal coups and election meddling has many in the global south concerned the US and its European allies may try to tilt the process towards the neoliberal challengers. Taylor Hudak, editor of Activism Munich and co-founder of Action 4 Assange, joins us to discuss a new social media platform that is in the making. In light of the recent increase of online censorship, a consortium of advocates and technical experts have come together to create a social media platform called "panquake" that will be minimally censored. The project will use blockchain technology and will strive to minimize intrusion into the experience of users. Dr. Yolandra Hancock, a board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss the World Health Organization's investigation into the origins of the novel coronavirus. An ongoing investigation has so far determined that "the introduction through an intermediary host species is the most likely pathway and one that will require more studies and more specific targeted research.” The Trump administration had long claimed that China was at fault and implied that COVID-19 was either the result of an intentional act or gross negligence. Scott Ritter, a former UN weapons inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss the Biden administration's latest foreign policy maneuvers. The Biden team has taken dramatic steps which appear to increase the chance of an act of intentional human extinction. The Pentagon has moved strategic bombers to Norway in an act that is intended to threaten Russia with a nuclear attack. Meanwhile, the head of US strategic command has stated that a nuclear confrontation with China, an act that would almost assuredly end nearly all life on earth, is a distinct possibility. Laith Marouf, a broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, joins us to discuss US policy in Syria. Multiple outlets are reporting that the US is sending more troops to Syria, as the Pentagon argues troops in the oil-producing regions of Syria are not there to "protect" the oil. Also, in a continuation of the Trump administration's policy, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has endorsed Israel's illegal occupation of the Golan Heights region of Syria, arguing it is necessary for Israel's security. Dan Kovalik, a labor and human rights lawyer, professor, and author, joins us to discuss Iran. The Biden foreign policy team is continuing the foreign policies of the Trump administration regarding the Iran nuclear deal. While Iran's position that the US left the deal and has the responsibility to re-enter it without changes is hard to dispute, the US is moving further away from that stance and seems to be realigned with the Iran policies of former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Elliott Abrams, who served as Trump's special representative for Iran and Venezuela.

Caleb Maupin, a journalist and political analyst, joins us to review the important stories for the week. Iran has repeatedly argued for a swift uncompounded reentry into the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as Secretary of State Antony Blinken pushes debunked conspiracy theories about Iran being months away from a nuclear weapon. Maupin also talks about US President Joe Biden's foreign policy speech in which he advised that he will cease support for the Yemen war, but will be more aggressive with Russia and China. Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, joins us to discuss this week's economic stories. The Senate appears to be moving forward with President Biden's $1.9 trillion economic package, as the GOP signals they are not on board. Also, economists and activists alike argue it is economic and political suicide to decrease the number of citizens eligible for stimulus checks using means-testing. Dr. Jehan "Gigi" El-Bayoumi, professor of medicine and founding director of the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences' Rodman Institute, and Dr. Yolandra Hancock, a board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, join us to discuss the latest coronavirus news. Johnson & Johnson seek emergency approval from the FDA for a single-shot vaccine, as the US COVID-19 death toll tops 450,000. Also, the post-holiday surge of COVID-19 infections seem to be slowing, but the death rate remains elevated. Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, and Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief at TheDuran.com and host of "The Duran" on YouTube, come together to discuss the potential end of the investigation into the origins of Russiagate. FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith received barely a slap on the wrist for intentionally lying to the FISA Court possibly signaling a government cover-up for deep state chicanery. Also, our esteemed guests talk about the 2014 US-sponsored Maidan Coup in Ukraine as the anniversary rapidly approaches. Lastly, the Ukrainian government shuttered three television channels deemed "pro-Russian," as Mercouris' channel “The Duran” has also been censored on YouTube. Jim Kavanagh, writer at The Polemicist and CounterPunch and author of "The American Farce Unravels: Shreds of January 6th," and Kevin Gosztola, managing editor of Shadowproof.com, join us for a panel discussion on the Ecuador election and US domestic politics. Polls show that anti-IMF and anti-imperialist candidate Andrés Araus is the clear frontrunner in the Ecuadorian presidential election, as another Latin American country moves away from US imperial domination. Also, embattled Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is tossed from congressional committees, and St. Louis civil liberty activists battle a mass surveillance spy plane that is planned for their city.

Caleb Maupin, a journalist and political analyst, joins us to review the important stories for the week. Iran has made it clear they are willing to return to the 2015 nuclear deal without changes, as the Biden foreign policy team signals they are a long way from rejoining the agreement. Meanwhile, a Grayzone article reports that a far-right apocalyptic extremist contributed to a New York Times story accusing a Harvard scientist of being a Chinese spy. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor in the economics and politics departments at Saint Mary's College of California, joins us to discuss this week's economic stories. Rasmus argues the GameStop stock story has been misinterpreted by the media, explaining "Gamestop is an example of how those with wealth and power are able to change the rules of the game in the middle of the game to ensure they will always come out on top." Additionally, he discusses reports that the US economy has logged its weakest performance in 74 years. Dr. Jehan "Gigi" El-Bayoumi, professor of medicine and founding director of the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences' Rodman Institute, and Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss the latest coronavirus news. They discuss the alarming findings in an investigation conducted by the New York attorney general that revealed the number of deaths in nursing homes within the state has been undercounted by as much as 56%. It also found that poor infection control practices and understaffing helped fuel the crisis. Also, new variants of the coronavirus are presenting challenges for current vaccines and may soon replace the earlier versions of the virus. Ajamu Baraka, the 2016 US vice presidential candidate for the Green Party, and Margaret Kimberley, editor and senior columnist at Black Agenda Report and author of "Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents," come together to review the Biden foreign policy agenda. In his recent "Black Alliance for Peace" article, Baraka posits that Dr. King broke from cold war Democrats when he stated, "When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.” Also, they discuss the liberal centrist's push for censorship and an authoritarian domestic crackdown. Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "The Velvet Coup: The Constitution, the Supreme Court and the Decline of American Democracy," and Scott Ritter, former UN weapons inspector in Iraq, come together to discuss Middle East policy. Notorious warhawk Antony Blinken is signaling that the Biden team has no intention of re-entering the Iran nuclear deal as originally agreed. Also, there is breaking news that they intend to back out of the Afghanistan peace deal and ramp up aggression against Russia and China as they fully re-engage the dangerous policies of empire and endless war.

Dr. Yolandra Hancock, a board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss coronavirus vaccine issues. New variants of the COVID-19 seem to be presenting challenges to vaccine efficacy as Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech announced their vaccines are less effective against the South African variant, and that they are working to find alternatives. Also, Europe is experiencing infighting between nations who are struggling to access enough doses for their populations. Mark Sleboda, a Moscow-based international relations and security analyst, returns to discuss the recent phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden. Putin argued for better relations between the two nuclear powers and Biden brought up a number of Western media stories that touched on the alleged Afghan bounty plot, opposition figure Alexey Navalny, and the Solar Winds hack. Roger Harris, a human rights activist, joins us to discuss his recent article, “In the Wake of the Riots: The Blowback from Defeating Trump was Criminalizing Dissent.” Harris argues that "as the neoliberal state's crisis of legitimacy matures, anti-terrorism laws and the institutional apparatus of fascist repression are being perfected to use against future insurgencies.” The activist adds, “fundamental institutional factors ... will likely continue to determine the trajectory of neoliberal capitalism towards an ever more authoritarian state. Austerity for workers, and imperialism abroad.”Gareth Porter, an investigative journalist, returns to discuss his latest article, "Biden admin's coercive Iran policy threatens serious new regional crisis." Porter writes that Biden's plan to use sanctions to coerce Iran into renegotiating the nuclear deal will cause tremendous pain and hardship in the region. He argues the Biden team has no intention of returning to the 2015 agreement, and that their ill-fated plans are based on falsehoods and dangerous propaganda. Carlos Castaneda, an immigration attorney, joins us to talk about the recent court ruling on deportations. A federal judge in Texas temporarily blocked the Biden administration's 100-day halt on deportations. District Judge Drew B. Tipton issued a 14-day temporary restraining order that blocks the deportation moratorium and will remain in effect until he has considered a motion for a preliminary injunction. Tipton claims Biden's immigration move violates two separate federal laws.Randi Nord, the co-founder of GeopoliticsAlert.com, joins us to talk about Yemen. Relatives of at least 34 Yemenis have filed a petition with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights asserting that six drone strikes and one special operations raid conducted during the Obama and Trump administrations inflicted catastrophic damage on two families including the deaths of nine children. Chris Sorensen, author of "Understanding the War Industry," joins us to discuss the influence of military hardware giant Raytheon. The conflict of interest issue has already started with the Biden administration as Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is recusing himself from any decisions involving Raytheon, his former employer. Also, the Biden administration is expected to block the sale of $500 million in bombs to Saudi Arabia. Ajamu Baraka, former US vice presidential candidate for the Green Party, joins us to discuss a recent article from the Black Alliance for Peace. The article, "Biden's First 48 Hours Affirm U.S. ‘Greatest Purveyor of Violence,'" discusses Dr. Martin Luther King's remarks about the US empire. Baraka posits that Dr. King broke from cold war Democrats when he stated, “When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.” Additionally, Baraka discusses the current day neutering of the Black peace movement and what needs to be done to overcome it.

Dr. Emmitt Riley, political scientist and assistant professor of Africana Studies at DePauw University joins us to discuss the first 100 days of the Biden administration. Biden began by signing multiple executive orders mostly aimed at reversing the policies of the previous administration. As the COVID-19 pandemic and its related economic fallout are the most pressing issues on his plate, Biden mandated masks on all federal properties, extended moratoriums on evictions, and postponed payments on federal student loans. “We'll press forward with speed and urgency, for we have much to do in this winter of peril and possibility,” Biden said in his inaugural address. Dan Kovalik, labor and human rights lawyer, professor, and author, joins us to discuss think tank diplomacy. The Washington Post recently ran an alarming article supposing that North Korea is on the verge of threatening the US with an intercontinental ballistic missile. The article failed to disclose that the expert upon which it relied, Michael Elleman, works for a think tank that is heavily funded by weapons manufacturers and includes a former NATO secretary-general and previously included the CEO of Lockheed Martin. John Whitehead, president of the Rutherford Institute and author of "Battlefield America: The War on the American People," returns to discuss the deep state control of US policy. Whitehead argues that former US President Donald Trump handed his administration over to corporations, weapons manufacturers and lobbyists, and that Biden will be no different. Whitehead agrees there was a coup attempt in the United States but he says, "Indeed, the real coup happened when our government ‘of the people, by the people, for the people' was overthrown by a profit-driven, militaristic, techno-corporate state that is in cahoots with a government ‘of the rich, by the elite, for the corporations.'” Dr. Yolandra Hancock, a board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss the new administration's COVID-19 plan. Biden's plan includes a variety of measures including a speedy return of children to schools and increased funding for testing and the administration of the vaccine program. Also, the US COVID-19 death toll has passed the 400,000 mark, with no respite from the outbreak on the horizon. Hancock also discusses whether the public should wait for a better vaccine or take its chances with one of the varieties currently available. Robert Fantina, pro-Palestinian activist, peace and human rights leader, journalist and author of “Essays on Palestine,” returns to discuss the potential for a US return to the Iran nuclear deal. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is calling on Biden to return to the 2015 agreement and lift the sanctions reimposed by the Trump administration; however, Biden's underlings seem to be throwing some cold water on the proposal. Antony Blinken, Biden's secretary of state nominee, has implied he will be looking for an expansion of the deal, a measure that Iran has made clear it will refuse to consider. James Carey, editor and co-owner of Geopolitics Alert, joins us to discuss early indications of the Biden administration's Yemen policies. Blinken indicated during his Tuesday Senate confirmation hearing that the Biden administration will be reviewing the designation of Yemen's Houthis as a terrorist organization, and will likely end support for the Saudi war on the impoverished nation. The terrorist designation was panned internationally as it was expected to intensify the worst humanitarian crisis on Earth. George Koo, journalist, social activist, international business consultant and chemical engineer joins us to discuss US policies regarding China. In a surprise move, China levied sanctions against a number of officials from the outgoing Trump administration. Meanwhile, newly confirmed Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines is advocating for a more aggressive and assertive policy against China. After criticizing the Trump foreign policy towards Asia, it appears the Biden team will adopt it and increase tensions in the region. As Biden's nominees push for confrontation, Beijing is asking for a better relationship through mutual respect and cooperation. Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, returns to discuss the expansion of online censorship. In what seems to be a bow to the official US foreign policy, Twitter is suspending the accounts of the incoming Venezuelan parliament. The social media behemoth is recognizing Juan Guaido as the interim president of the South American country despite the results of the nation's constitutional elections and the fact that the European Union no longer agrees with that assessment. In another US State Department-sponsored move, Twitter has locked the accounts of China's US embassy over their recent statements in defiance of US claims about the Uighur Muslim population in Xinjiang.

Dr. Clarence Lusane, author, activist and political science professor at Howard University, returns to talk about the recent reports about last week's protest in Washington, DC. An internal government document reveals that the FBI had foreknowledge of the potential for violence at the Capitol Hill protests, the Washington Post reported Tuesday. According to the outlet, the FBI's office in Norfolk, Virginia, reported that it was aware of calls for violence in response to "unlawful lockdowns," and the office sent the information to FBI officials in the capital within 45 minutes of receiving it on January 5.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist joins us to talk about the latest news regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Another record was set Tuesday as over 4,400 people died of COVID-19 in the US, according to a New York Times Tally. The US currently has the highest death toll in the world and is rapidly approaching 400,000 fatalities. We discuss the action that needs to be taken as a new Congress and presidential administration come to power. Julie Hurwitz, civil rights attorney and partner at the law firm Goodman, Hurwitz and James, joins us to discuss the latest in the Flint, Michigan, water crisis. Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and a number of former state officials that were involved in the Flint water crisis will reportedly be indicted. The 2014 crisis led to at least 12 deaths and dozens of illnesses in the predominantly Black city where lead levels in water remain abnormally high to this day.KJ Noh, peace activist, writer and teacher, joins us to discuss China's interests in Afghanistan. China has had issues with Islamic terrorism and therefore has some concerns because of its proximity to Afghanistan. China has publicly endorsed the US removal of troops from Afghanistan but is also keeping a close eye on the dynamics created by the withdrawal. The Asian nation has a significant Muslim population and has experienced some level of participation in terrorism and extremism among that group. Nino Pagliccia, who has two master's degrees from Stanford University and is a retired researcher on Canada-Cuba collaborative projects at the University of British Columbia, returns to the show to discuss Latin America's response to last week's Capitol Hill protest. Additionally, Pagliccia discusses his extensive research and reporting on Canada's involvement in US regime-change maneuvers in Central and South America. William J. Astore, retired US Air Force lieutenant colonel who has taught at the Air Force Academy and the Naval Postgraduate School, and now teaches history at the Pennsylvania College of Technology, joins us to discuss his latest article. Astore argues that we are all prisoners of war because militarism has become deeply embedded in American life. He comes on to discuss what it will take to free America from a cultural paradigm of endless war.Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, joins us to discuss US President-elect Joe Biden's selection for CIA chief. McGovern asks whether diplomat William Burns will be able to change the culture at Langley and not be subsumed by it. Adam Eidinger, Washington, DC, cannabis activist, joins us to discuss cannabis legalization. Mexico is in the process of creating the largest legal cannabis market in the world. Meanwhile, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is arguing that cannabis legalization will raise significant funds to help address the budget shortfall caused by the pandemic.

An Iraqi court has issued an arrest warrant for US President Donald Trump for assassinating Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a January 2020 drone strike that also killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani.Caleb Maupin, journalist and political analyst, joins us to talk about the important stories of the week. An Iraqi court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for Trump for assassinating Muhandis last January. This comes at a time when relations are strained between the two nations, as Iraq has also filed a lawsuit against the US for using depleted uranium munitions in civilian areas. Also, Maupin gives his thoughts on the recent breach and occupation of the US Capitol building by right-wing protesters.Dr. Jehan "Gigi" El-Bayoumi, professor of medicine and founding director of the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences' Rodman Institute; and Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, return to discuss the latest COVID-19 news. The US reported the highest number of coronavirus deaths in a single day to date on Thursday, as over 4,000 deaths were recorded. Experts worry that a combination of new mutations of the virus and fatigue from preventative measures is creating a dynamic that will continue to spiral out of control. Dr. Jack Rasmus, professor in the Economics and Politics Departments at St. Mary's College of California, joins us to discuss the economic fallout from the deadly coronavirus pandemic. The US lost 140,000 jobs in December as the pandemic and Congress' delays in crafting an economic stimulus package combined to drag down the economy. Also, Democrats are signaling that they will use their newfound power in the Senate to move forward with the $2,000 stimulus checks that Trump requested in December. Margaret Flowers, pediatrician, health reform activist and co-director at Popular Resistance; and Dr. Emmitt Riley, political scientist and assistant professor of Africana studies at DePauw University, join us to discuss the stories of the week, including the drama on Capitol Hill. Fallout from the Trump protesters' occupation of the congressional complex continues, as some members of Congress call for impeachment and a criminal investigation. Also, WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange was successful in his initial bid to avoid extradition to the United States but was denied bail on Wednesday, and Iran has worked out a joint cooperation deal with Cuba to produce a COVID-19 vaccine. Kevin Gosztola, managing editor of Shadowproof.com; and Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, come together to discuss the outcome of the Georgia elections and other important stories. In a shocking turn of events, Democrats swept the Senate races in the reliably red southern state of Georgia. Does the Democratic Party's encroachment on traditionally Republican ground signal a permanent shift in voting patterns, or is this a one-off phenomenon? Also, people are doxing protesters that briefly occupied the congressional complex on Wednesday, and some have lost their jobs. Are they getting their just deserts, or is this an unreasonable intrusion into their personal lives that borders on a free speech violation?

Over 128,000 people across the United States were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Monday, with a record increase of 2,800 new patients in a single day.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss the coronavirus catastrophe in the United States. On Sunday, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened the highest number of airline passengers in a single day since the beginning of the pandemic as the nation blew past hospitalization records. Additionally, the rollout of vaccines has been problematic, as the new, highly contagious variant of the virus has been detected in New York. Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist; and Greg Palast, investigative reporter, join us to discuss the Georgia runoff Senate races. Polls are open as the two Senate races, among the most expensive in history, determine whether Mitch McConnell holds onto power as the Senate majority leader. Early voting has shattered records, and election officials are expecting an extremely heavy turnout. Both parties are experiencing internal strife, and analysts are wondering if US President Donald Trump's fight over alleged voter fraud or the Democratic #forcethevote effort will affect the outcomes of the Georgia contests.Marvin Weinbaum, scholar-in-residence at the Middle East Institute and director of its Center for Pakistan and Afghanistan Studies, joins us to talk about the troubled Afghan peace process. Afghan government representatives traveled to Qatar on Tuesday in order to resume peace talks with Taliban leaders, despite mixed messages from US officials and a number of recent assassinations in the Central Asian country. Many insiders predict that the talks are doomed to collapse based on a host of angry statements and accusations that have preceded the meetings.Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran and host of its YouTube channel, returns to The Critical Hour to review the UK court ruling rejecting the US' request for the extradition of WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange. Despite the potential for Assange's personal freedom from incarceration, many free speech advocates are deeply concerned with the verdict. Judge Vanessa Baraitser said, “This court trusts that a US court will properly consider Mr. Assange's right to free speech,” which indicates that the US persecution of whistleblowers is receiving legitimacy and support from the UK government. Teri Mattson, Latin America coordinator for Code Pink, joins us to discuss the swearing-in of the Venezuelan parliament. A recent AFP article by Margioni Bermudez argues that the decision to boycott elections by the opposition was a strategic error, and that as a result, opposition leader Juan Guaido "will be out of his job as National Assembly speaker, losing the limited institutional legitimacy he had, and leaving foreign governments backing his claim to the presidency in a difficult position." Bermudez goes on to say that a measure passed by the opposition-controlled National Assembly to let it carry on as-is until new elections, alongside the new legislature that is favorable to President Nicolas Maduro, has no legal basis and does not seem to have much popular support. Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, joins us to talk about his latest article about the suspected Russian hacking story. Ray argues that "this latest [New York Times] indictment of Russia does not substantially advance the story beyond the information available two weeks ago, when 'neither the actor, nor the motive, nor the damage done [was] known for certain in this latest scare story.'" Also, he discusses a story by a retired Indian ambassador who believes that Russia-US relations could go from bad to worse under the incoming Biden administration. KJ Noh, peace activist, writer, and teacher, joins us to discuss the New York Times' crusade against China. The Times pushes the Trump administration's argument that China is responsible for the spread of COVID-19 due to its failures to act properly in January 2020. However, Reuters reported in June, "Scientists in Italy have found traces of the new coronavirus in wastewater collected from Milan and Turin in December 2019." Additionally, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday that he regretted the Trump administration had not fully resolved certain "hard issues" between the US and China, reported Bloomberg. Dan Kovalik, labor and human rights lawyer, professor and author, joins us to discuss his book "The Plot to Attack Iran." Kovalik argues that the deep state and the CIA have conspired to vilify Iran. In his introduction to the book, Oliver Stone writes, "Over the past century, Iran's greatest resource, and at the same time, its greatest curse has been its oil. For it is oil that has caused the United States and other world powers to systematically attempt to destroy Iran."

Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, returns to The Critical Hour to update us on the latest coronavirus news. The US patient who has contracted the new virus variant, a Colorado man in his 20s, is now in isolation in the state's Elbert County. While the variant is believed to spread more easily, experts say there's no evidence that it causes more severe sickness. Scientists familiar with the case argue that the man's lack of a recent travel history indicates that this is likely not an isolated case. John Burris, civil rights attorney, joins us to discuss the recent Nashville, Tennessee, bombing. Pamela Perry, the girlfriend of deceased bombing suspect Anthony Warner, reported to authorities over a year ago that Warner was making bombs in his RV, according to a recent report from the Associated Press. However, police never managed to speak with Warner, nor did they inspect his RV. Also, the Louisville Metro Police Department has begun the process of firing two more of the officers who were involved in the infamous raid that resulted in the killing of Breonna Taylor.Ariel Gold, national director for antiwar organization Code Pink, joins us to discuss US arms sales. The Trump administration is apparently ending its term with massive arms sales to the Middle East. The US State Department has approved a potential sale of $4.2 billion worth of weapons to Kuwait and another potential deal for $290 million in bombs to Saudi Arabia, according to the Pentagon. The Saudi deal follows another deal for $478 million in arms for which the State Department intends to issue a license, Bloomberg reported last week. International security experts argue that the massive influx of arms into the region will contribute to instability and continued conflict.Medea Benjamin, co-founder Code Pink, returns to The Critical Hour to discuss her recent MintPress News article on Avril Haines, US President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for director of national intelligence. Benjamin argues, "This unassuming spy may look and sound like your favorite college professor, but that facade masks a ruthless wolf in sheep's clothing who enabled murder by remote control and wielded a thick black pen to cover up CIA torture." The article is written on behalf of a number of progressive activist groups who are calling on the US Senate to reject Haines' nomination. Dr. Gerald Horne, professor of history at the University of Houston, author, historian and researcher, returns to discuss convicted spy Jonathan Pollard. He was allowed to travel to Israel and was greeted Wednesday as a hero by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, weeks after the Trump administration lifted parole restrictions that kept Pollard from going abroad. In the 1980s, Pollard stole and sold top-secret US government documents to Israel while he was working as a US Navy intelligence analyst.Scott Ritter, former UN weapons inspector in Iraq, returns to discuss his latest article about the recent hack of US government websites, which many media outlets have blamed on Russia without concrete evidence. He gives a simplified yet highly technical overview of the cyberattack and then goes on to explain the current environment, including some history of cyber confrontations between the US and Russia. Ritter argues that, regardless of where the hack originated, it was pure intelligence-gathering and did not seem to include any offensive or destructive actions. He maintains that the claims of a Pearl Harbor level-attack are hyperbolic and designed for domestic consumption. James Carey, editor and co-owner of Geopolitics Alert, joins us to discuss Iran. A spokesperson for Netanyahu's office has announced that Israel is unequivocally opposed to the US returning to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement with Iran. The official claimed that the “deal gave Iran a highway paved with gold to build the critical infrastructure for an entire arsenal of nuclear bombs" but provided no details or facts to support the claim. Also, Alan MacLeod penned a recent article in which he argues that the world ends 2020 exactly as it began: with the looming threat of war between the US and Iran.Niko House, political activist, independent journalist and podcaster, returns to The Critical Hour to discuss the ongoing feud in the Democratic Party. YouTube Star Jimmy Dore ignited a firestorm when he suggested that Democrats should use their votes for speaker of the House as bargaining chips to get a floor vote on Medicare for All. Meanwhile, in an ominous sign for mainstream Democrats, incoming Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and Cori Bush (D-MO) are refusing to say whether they will support House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) bid to lead the party in 2021.

Caleb Maupin, journalist and political analyst, joins us to talk about recent claims that Iranian proxies attacked the US Embassy in Baghdad. Anti-war activists are warning that Trump may start a military conflict with Iran after he "blamed the Middle Eastern nation for a rocket attack on the American Embassy in Baghdad over the weekend, an accusation Tehran rejected as 'fabricated,'" Common Dreams reported. The president on Wednesday tweeted pictures of rockets that were allegedly supposed to be used in the attack but didn't launch, and he implied that they were evidence of Iranian involvement in the incident.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo, professor, epidemiologist, veterinarian and the daughter of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, to discuss issues related to the coronavirus pandemic. On Wednesday, the Trump administration and Pfizer announced they had reached a deal to supply the US with 100 million more doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, which it developed in conjunction with German firm BioNTech. These additional doses will be delivered by the end of July 2021. Will the availability of such vaccines stem the spread of the coronavirus?Author and activist Miko Peled returns to the show to discuss the fragile political situation in Israel, which faces its third election in less than two years as Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu works to stave off both a political embarrassment and charges of corruption. Additionally, Europeans seem to be demonstrating a greater concern for the plight of the beleaguered Palestinian population in the occupied territories. Will this newfound connection create enmity between the EU and the United States?Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, teams up with Margaret Kimberley, editor and senior columnist at Black Agenda Report and author of "Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents," to discuss the ongoing political battle over the US pandemic relief bill. Trump blew up social media on Tuesday night by threatening to veto the $900 billion bipartisan agreement. He called it a "disgrace" that is full of pork and asserted that the stimulus checks for Americans should be bumped from $600 to $2,000.Dan Kovalik, lawyer, professor and author; and Netfa Freeman, host of Voices With Vision on WPFW 89.3 FM, pan-Africanist and internationalist organizer, come together to discuss all things Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. The US has finalized a deal with Sudan. The impoverished nation will be taken off the list of state sponsors of terrorism and have its sovereign immunity restored in return for normalizing relations with Israel. Meanwhile, The Trump administration has instituted new sanctions against officials in the Nicaraguan government, making the usual claims of anti-democratic actions. In August, The Grayzone reported on a document that allegedly detailed a plot by the US government to overthrow the democratically elected government of President Daniel Ortega.

Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, joins us to talk about reports of a massive hacking operation involving US government websites. Nearly all mainstream Western media outlets are repeating the claims that the Russian government is involved in the hack, but the US government has not provided evidence. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) in a Thursday speech before the Senate called the hacking operation a "virtual invasion by the Russians into critical accounts of the federal government," and Biden has promised to impose "substantial costs" on those responsible, according to Fox News.Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, returns to The Critical Hour to discuss the state of the US economy as jobless claims remain elevated and Congress squabbles over a stimulus package. Recent negotiations point to a final deal that will not include money for state and local governments despite projections that over 5 million workers will face layoffs without such funds.Dr. Jehan "Gigi" El-Bayoumi, professor of medicine and founding director of the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences' Rodman Institute; and Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, return to discuss reports that a panel of independent experts recommended overwhelmingly that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) grant Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine an emergency use authorization. Our panel discusses the efficacy and safety issues that have so many people apprehensive about taking the vaccine. Are their fears valid, and will these fears complicate the use of vaccine therapy to overcome the deadly pandemic?Daniel Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "The Velvet Coup"; and Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, come together to discuss several of the most important stories of the week. Chief among these stories is one that involves recordings that recently surfaced from James O'Keefe's Project Veritas, revealing that WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange contacted the State Department in 2011 and notified it that 250,000 diplomatic cables had been stolen from WikiLeaks and may be released soon. Assange advised the department to take mitigating actions to protect personnel because the necessary redactions and precautions may not have been taken by the thief.Dr. Gerald Horne, professor of history at the University of Houston, author, historian and researcher; and Danny Haiphong, author and contributor to Black Agenda Report, team up to review another group of major stories from the week. They address growing concerns Biden is building a political team chock full of notorious Wall Street operatives. Reports show that Biden has grown his transition team with new additions, such as 18-year Goldman Sachs employee Eric Goldstein; Monica Maher, vice president for cyber threat intelligence at Goldman; and Josh Zoffer, who was formerly an engagement manager at McKinsey and now works at private equity firm Cove Hill Partners.

Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, joins us to discuss the coming change of power in the United States, as the Electoral College has met and certified the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Additionally, a Monday New York Times article asserts that executives at CNN and MSNBC are concerned that the networks' ratings may plunge dramatically in a future without Trump. One on-air personality for MSNBC is reported to have asked, "What happens when you don't need us?"Jim Kavanagh, writer at The Polemicist and CounterPunch, returns to The Critical Hour to talk about recent rumors that Trump may pardon Edward Snowden. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Sunday advocated in a tweet that Snowden receive a pardon. The organization was immediately attacked on social media from the angle of identity politics for not including a call for Reality Winner to be pardoned. The crew also discusses the importance of having a pardon for Julian Assange in the conversation. Professor Danny Shaw, author, activist and professor of Latin American studies, joins us to discuss the Venezuelan election outcome. In a surprising move, just "a few days after the December 6 election, two-time opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles gave an interview to BBC, where he asked the United States to drop its backing of Juan Guaidó," according to a Tuesday article in CounterPunch. Opposition leader angst over harsh US sanctions is having the opposite effect intended by US and EU proponents of regime change. Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to talk about a frightening health issue arising in the United Kingdom. A new strain of the coronavirus may have characteristics that cause it to be more infectious. Recent infection rates in parts of England are causing concern, and scientists are working to find out if this new variant is a contributing factor. "The new variant, which UK scientists have named 'VUI – 202012/01,' includes a mutation in the viral genome region encoding the spike protein, which - in theory - could result in COVID-19 spreading more easily between people," Reuters reported Tuesday.Robert Fantina, journalist and Palestine activist, returns to The Critical Hour to discuss the future of the Iran nuclear agreement, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). While US President-elect Joe Biden's foreign policy team has indicated that they are open to returning to the deal, they have also implied that they see it as a bridge to further negotiations. However, the Iranians have announced that they are open to immediately rejoining the agreement under the original terms and have no intentions to extend talks. Also, a coalition of 50 retired generals, former secretaries of defense, diplomats and lawmakers from across the spectrum are urging Biden in an open letter to swiftly rejoin the JCPOA when he takes office in January.Nicolas Davies, peace activist and author of "Blood on Our Hands, the American Invasion of Iraq," talks with our hosts about a John Pilger article in Consortium News, in which he contends that war is a much more lethal virus than COVID-19. Pilger reviews the damage that the coronavirus has caused and then looks at the money that is being spent on war and how it has left neoliberal societies broke and unable to address any such health crisis. Pilger's contention is supported by the recent passing of a defense bill in the US Congress that allocated $740 billion for the Pentagon when lawmakers have been unable to come to a consensus for economic relief for the American public.Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, returns to discuss the current status of coronavirus relief and stimulus in the US Congress. Despite months of negotiations, the Republican Party seems determined to provide as little relief as possible, and the Democratic Party has lost considerable ground. In rejecting previous GOP offers before the presidential election, the Democrats have lost leverage and appear poised to accept a fraction of the sum contained in their original deals. Kevin Gosztola, journalist, author and documentary filmmaker, returns to discuss whether the national security agencies are in charge of US foreign policy. They review Jacob Hornberger's recent article discussing that question and the book "National Security and Double Government," by Michael J. Glennon. Hornberger argues that it is the national security establishment that is in charge of the federal government. Our guest discusses Trump's initial attacks on traditional US foreign policy and the disastrous blowback from intelligence agencies.

Dr. Jehan "GiGi" El-Bayoumi, professor of medicine and founding director of the Rodham Institute at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences; and Dr. Yolandra Hancock, a board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, come together to discuss health care workers throughout the US getting the country's first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials on Monday. The vaccine, developed by Pfizer and BioNTech and the first to be approved for use in the US, was shipped out in vials Sunday, with nursing home residents slated to be amongst those first in line to receive doses. The vaccination campaign is reported to be the biggest since polio shots were distributed in the 1950s.Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, joins us to discuss the latest version of Russiagate. The Washington Post is blaming Russian hackers for a "broad espionage campaign" that has allegedly "compromised" US agencies, including the Treasury and Commerce Departments. On Sunday, the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC, responded to the allegations, calling them "baseless. Once again, no evidence to support the accusations has been provided.James Carey, editor and co-owner of Geopolitics Alert, joins us to weigh in on last week's Grayzone article outlining leaks from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) regarding Syria. According to the report, the OPCW executives "privately criticized the manipulation of a Syria chemical weapons probe, and supported a dissenting veteran inspector," exposing "the public whitewash of the Douma cover-up, and [undermining] the ongoing attacks on the whistleblowers who challenged it."Charles Simmons, international fellow at Columbia University, professor emeritus of journalism at Eastern Michigan University and co-director of the Hush House Museum & Cultural Center in Detroit, Michigan, joins us to discuss the Electoral College activities. Members of the Electoral College meet Monday across the country to formally vote for Joe Biden as the country's next president. Charles also talks about Michigan's legislative offices being closed down on Monday due to credible threats of violence. According to Amber McCann, a spokeswoman for Republican state Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, the Senate shuttered its facilities "based on recommendations from law enforcement."Elisabeth Myers, lawyer, former editor-in-chief of Inside Arabia and democracy lead for Democrats Abroad, joins us to discuss a Sunday article in Haaretz, entitled "Morocco Agrees to Normalize Ties With Israel in exchange for US Recognition of Western Sahara Sovereignty." According to the report, the deal "will include direct flights between the two countries." It was also noted that Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi learned about the agreement from Americans, not Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, returns to discuss the reports that the construction of Russia's Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline, which has been halted for a year, has resumed. On Friday, "Germany's Authority of Waterways and Shipping Management published a notice to seafarers on the resumption of building works on the final few kilometers of the pipeline," according to AFP. The resumption of construction to complete the final section of the project comes despite US protests and was halted for over a year following Washington's imposition of sanctions on the companies involved with the pipeline. Author and activist Miko Peled joins us to talk about a recent report issued by several human rights groups in occupied Palestine that detailed 413 Palestinian abductions by Israel soldiers in the month of November. Details included "that the number of Palestinian detainees imprisoned by Israel is about 4400, including 41 women, 170 children, and 380 who are held under the arbitrary Administrative Detention orders, without charges or trial," according to the International Middle East Media Center.George Koo, journalist, social activist, international business consultant and chemical engineer; joins Teri Mattson, activist and writer for Code Pink, to discuss a Reuters investigation published earlier Monday, outlining China's increased control over areas "once seen as the United States' political backyard." The research, "including interviews with current and former officials and advisers, and analysis of trade data, found that under [US President Donald] Trump, China has left the United States trailing in terms of power and influence across most of Latin America."

Caleb Maupin, journalist, and political analyst, joins us to discuss a recent Greenwald article and appearance on Fox News in which he argued that the censoring of the Hunter Biden laptop story prior to the election was an elaborate disinformation program by intelligence community figures, media outlets and tech companies. Greenwald told Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Thursday that "we need to recognize what a historic crime and disgrace this is." Also, Maupin discusses recent remarks by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani that his nation is willing to return to its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal, with no need for more negotiations.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to talk about a public hearing on Tuesday by the Central District Health board in Boise, Idaho. Officials halted a vote on a public health order due to fears for their safety and public safety, according to local outlet KTVB. Anti-mask protesters were around the building and were reportedly at the homes of some of the officials, causing some to state that they feared for the safety of their families. Also, she discusses a report that women, who tend to take the lead on family health care decisions, are more wary than men of the rapidly developed COVID-19 vaccines that could soon be available to the public. Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, returns to The Critical Hour to discuss the public outrage displayed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and others over the lack of $1,200 stimulus payments to Americans in proposed legislation for pandemic relief. Additionally, in a sign of severe economic desperation, the prevalence of shoplifting of food, diapers, baby formula and other necessities in the US appears to be even greater now than it was just after other national crises like the 2008 recession, which saw shoplifting rise 34%, according to the Washington Post.Margaret Kimberley, editor and senior columnist at Black Agenda Report and author of "Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents"; and Ajamu Baraka, former US vice-presidential candidate for the Green Party, come together to discuss several important stories, including retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin being named as US President-elect Joe Biden's pick for secretary of defense. The choice Austin has unleashed a firestorm of criticism, with Glenn Greenwald saying on Twitter that he was "yet another high-level Biden nominee enmeshed in DC's corporatist 'revolving door' of legalized influence-peddling." Also, they talk about Greenwald's recent article in which he expresses outrage over the media's censorship and outright lies regarding the Hunter Biden laptop story. He argues that the timing and coordination between the media and current and former intelligence officials point to a deliberate and complex disinformation operation. Jim Kavanagh, writer at The Polemicist and CounterPunch; and Scott Ritter, former UN weapons inspector in Iraq, return to discuss a report that claims Israel is staging a variety of violent provocations in an attempt to lure Iran into a war with the United States before US President Donald Trump leaves office. Other stories include Joe Biden's retread Cabinet; a Department of Justice investigation into Hunter Biden's taxes and business affairs; and Rouhani's fig-leaf gestures aimed at returning to the JCPOA.

Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss Britain rolling out the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to its citizens, becoming the first nation in the West to begin such a campaign. A report prepared by the White House coronavirus task force tells a different story about US vaccination efforts, warning that the shots that will be available for US citizens will not alter the pandemic's course in the country until well into next year. "The current vaccine implementation will not substantially reduce viral spread, hospitalizations, or fatalities until the 100 million Americans with comorbidities can be fully immunized, which will take until the late spring," notes the report, sent to US governors.Kevin Gosztola, journalist, author and documentary filmmaker, joins us to talk about US President-elect Joe Biden's choice of retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin for secretary for defense. Austin was the first African American general to "command an Army division in combat and the first to oversee an entire theater of operations," according to Politico. If confirmed, Austin would be the first African American to hold the position.Elisabeth Myers, lawyer, former editor-in-chief of Inside Arabia and democracy lead for Democrats Abroad, joins us to discuss the sentencing of Dr. Walid Fitaihi in Saudi Arabia. Fitaihi, who holds dual American and Saudi nationality, was sentenced on Tuesday to six years in prison on "charges that included obtaining US citizenship without official permission and posting messages on Twitter supporting the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, according to the person close to the family, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case," reported the Washington Post.Jack Rasmus, professor in economics and politics at St. Mary's College of California, returns to discuss the fate of renters in the US. "Nearly 12 million renters will owe an average of $5,850 in back rent and utilities by January," the Washington Post reported, citing Moody's Analytics. "Last month, 9 million renters said they were behind on rent last month, according to a Census Bureau survey."Scott Ritter, former UN weapons inspector in Iraq, joins Dr. Wilmer Leon to discuss a report saying that the US and its allies are spreading misinformation about Iran possibly trying to retaliate for the killing of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. According to an article in AntiWar.com, "Despite Iran's clear desire to make it to January 20 without a military confrontation with the US, anonymous officials are hyping the threat of Iranian retaliation for Fakhrizadeh's death."Daniel Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "The Velvet Coup," joins us to discuss the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's statements that Britain may leave the European Union without a trade deal. Reuters reported Tuesday that "with just three weeks left to break a deadlock in trade negotiations," Johnson said that there may be no deal forthcoming.Latin American Coordinator of CodePink Teri Mattson joins us to discuss a Grayzone report outlining Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the US corporate media's continuing propaganda war against Venezuela. Pompeo and the media "declared Venezuela's legislative elections a 'sham' before results were even announced," the outlet noted. "Among the most blatant distortions deployed against President Nicolas Maduro's United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) was a claim first advanced by Leopoldo López, the far-right, US-backed opposition leader who recently fled to Spain."Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, returns to talk about a report from Geopolitics Alert that says large media outlets will not acknowledge Yemeni forces' success in battling Daesh and al-Qaeda. According to the report, media organizations have failed to report this information because Yemeni military sources have detailed "extensive cooperation between the US-backed Saudi coalition and terror groups."

Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity specialist, joins us to discuss a recent report in The Hill that the Supreme Court has seen new filings by religious groups seeking exemptions from COVID-19-related restrictions. These cases involve "a Christian school in Kentucky, a reverend and rabbi co-litigant team from New Jersey, and a church in California," and they come after "the justices agreed on Thanksgiving eve to bar New York authorities from enforcing attendance restrictions at churches and synagogues in the state's efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19," the outlet noted. Caleb Maupin, journalist and political analyst, returns to talk about the wave of executions the US Justice Department has set up during the Trump administration's final days. "The Justice Department's push to carry out executions before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration — including scheduling three during the week before he takes office — has drawn sharp condemnation," the Washington Post reported Wednesday. "'It's just unconscionable to move forward with executions at this point, in this situation,' said Shawn Nolan, a lawyer for two of the federal death-row inmates facing execution. 'Joe Biden ran on a platform of not moving forward with executions. And they shouldn't move forward with these executions during this transition period.'"Dr. Emmitt Riley, political scientist and assistant professor of Africana studies at DePauw University, joins us to discuss Wednesday's 46-minute video tirade by US President Donald Trump in which he continued to make allegations of voter fraud in the November election. Trump "declared that the nation's election system was 'under coordinated assault and siege' and argued that it was 'statistically impossible' for him to have lost to President-elect Joe Biden," the Washington post reported Wednesday. They also discuss newly pardoned former national security advisor Michael Flynn's call for Trump to suspend the US Constitution, declare martial law and have the military oversee a new election.William Astore, retired US Air Force lieutenant colonel who has taught at the Air Force Academy and the Naval Postgraduate School and now teaches history at the Pennsylvania College of Technology, joins us to discuss the battle for the top spot at the Pentagon heating up. "Michèle Flournoy, seen by many as the lead contender for the role, is facing stiff competition from former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson as well as retired four-star Army Gen. Lloyd Austin," The Hill reported Thursday. "Johnson, who is Black, is backed by members of the Congressional Black Caucus and progressive groups who are urging President-elect Joe Biden to pick a more diverse Cabinet."Scott Ritter, former UN weapons inspector in Iraq, returns to talk about Biden's plans to return the US to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). In an interview with a New York Times writer that was published Wednesday, Biden said he also would also seek a follow-up agreement on Iran's ballistic missile program.Yves Engler, Montreal-based writer, author and activist, joins us to discuss Venezuela's elections. "Since [Hugo] Chávez became the president, the United States government and its allies have tried to destabilize Venezuela's government, including by direct efforts at regime change," Vijay Prashad and Carlos Ron said in a Thursday article at CounterPunch. They also discuss a Jacobin magazine article by Daniel Finn, the introduction to which said, "US media outlets like the New York Times rightly dismissed bogus claims of electoral fraud by Donald Trump. Now they need to start applying the same standards to Latin America, where such claims have been used to justify the violent overthrow of elected left-wing governments."Dr. Dania Francis, professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Boston, joins us to discuss a Wednesday Common Dreams report which said, "US wage data released this week reveal the continuation of a trend that began at the end of the 1970s, and which has given the United States the dubious distinction of having the worst income inequality among most-developed countries. The Economic Policy Institute reports that between 1979 and 2019, the top 1% of people in the US — whose mean income was nearly $738,000 in 2018 — have enjoyed 160% income growth, while wages for the bottom 90% have stagnated, rising just 26% over the same 40-year period." Gerald Horne, professor of history at the University of Houston, author, historian and researcher, returns to discuss how "Biden's win boosts unions at a critical time," as reported Wednesday by the Financial Times. "So far, unions have been pleased with Mr. Biden's picks for top economic jobs, but some have yet to emerge, including labor secretary and US trade representative, which will both be closely watched," the outlet noted.

Dr. Emmitt Riley, political scientist and assistant professor of Africana studies at DePauw University, joins us to discuss the election issues going on in Georgia. Trump is attacking the Republican governor for refusing to join the president in his effort to overturn the election results. Many in the GOP fear this might cause a deep party rift that could affect voter turnout for Georgia's critical Senate runoff races in January. Daniel Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "The Velvet Coup"; and Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, join us to talk about recent events involving Israel's apparent assassination of an Iranian scientist. While this dramatic action seems intended to provoke a military response, Iran is signaling that it will not take the bait and respond violently. Also, Israeli actions seem to be empowering hardliners in Iran who prefer a more robust military response to violations of Iran's sovereignty. Ajamu Baraka, former US vice-presidential candidate for the Green Party, joins us to discuss some of the new picks for Joe Biden's potential Cabinet. Biden on Monday nominated Neera Tanden to head the Office of Management and Budget. Tanden has previously supported reducing Social Security benefits and floated the idea of seizing the oil of nations that the US invades to pay down the national debt. Also, the mainstream media has been fawning over the Biden picks as opposed to providing an unbiased review. KJ Noh, peace activist, writer, and teacher, joins us to discuss the powerhouse Chinese technology company Huawei. The employee-owned company is enjoying tremendous success, and many believe that its success using an alternative business model is viewed as a threat to US global dominance. Also, we discuss a recent Ted Galen article at Antiwar.com that refers to US policy towards Taiwan as a "ticking time bomb." Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, returns to discuss reports of a recent meeting in which Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, discussed the timeline for distributing a COVID-19 vaccine. Also, officials are extremely concerned about US hospital capacity as the number of COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization rises dramatically. Elisabeth Myers, attorney and former editor-in-chief of Inside Arabia, returns to discuss the Saudi Arabian war on Yemen. Over 80 progressive organizations are pressing the incoming Biden administration to discontinue support for the war, HuffPost reported Monday. Additionally, in his latest MintPress News article, Ahmed Abdulkareem talks about the Trump administration showering Saudi Arabia with weapons and diplomatic cover as they leave power. Nicolas Davies, peace activist and author of "Blood on Our Hands, the American Invasion and Destruction of Iraq," returns to discuss the upcoming elections in Venezuela. As the United States tries to interfere by influencing opposition forces to boycott the elections, those same forces are fracturing due to infighting. Additionally, he reviews a Branko Marcetic story in Jacobin magazine about the CIA's covert war on the left.Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, joins our hosts to talk about reports that 12 million people in the US are scheduled to lose unemployment benefits the day after Christmas. Between the loss of benefits and a wave of evictions, America is on the verge of an economic catastrophe. Dr. Tauheed carefully outlines the economic moves needed to fend off such a disaster.

Kevin Gosztola, journalist, author and documentary filmmaker, joins us to weigh in on the latest potential choice for Joe Biden's Cabinet. Biden has reportedly chosen Blinken, a longtime Beltway insider of the American foreign policy consensus, for secretary of state. Blinken's repeated support for military intervention projects causes great trepidation among those hoping for a less aggressive foreign policy under the next US administration Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician, joins us to discuss a report in The Hill that said, "The US on Sunday marked the 20th straight day of more than 100,000 new confirmed COVID-19 infections, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University." Also, as pharmaceutical giants Moderna, Pfizer and AstraZeneca claim to be on the verge of releasing highly effective vaccines for the coronavirus, Hancock discusses potential safety and distribution issues should any of them be chosen for mass production. Elisabeth Myers, lawyer and former editor-in-chief of Inside Arabia, talks with our hosts about a recent report in MintPress News which says that US weapons sales to Saudi Arabia since the beginning of the war in Yemen have made the kingdom "a cash cow for US weapons makers." The outlet notes that "figures released from the United Nations and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) show that since the war in Yemen began, the US government has given $2.56 billion in aid to the country but sold over $13 billion in high-tech weapons to Saudi Arabia."Greg Palast, investigative reporter, returns to the show to discuss the ongoing GOP legal fight to overcome the voting deficits in Michigan. Reuters reported, "The Republican National Committee and the Michigan Republican Party wrote to Michigan's state board of canvassers on Saturday asking it to adjourn for 14 days to audit ballots in the state's largest county." A Michigan Department of State spokesperson advised the GOP that "candidates could still request a recount after certification that could change the election outcome," the outlet said. Also, the Georgia State Board of Elections is considering making some ex post facto changes to voting rules that could significantly impact the final ballot count if allowed.Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations and security analyst, returns to discuss the Trump administration's latest move to pull the US out of the Open Skies Treaty. He will also discuss whether he thinks a Biden administration would be amenable to returning to any of the many treaties that the Trump team has abandoned. Additionally, he gives us his thoughts on recent reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin is extending an olive branch towards Washington, saying he is willing to work with the US to resolve differences after election details are settled. Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "The Velvet Coup," returns to The Critical Hour to discuss the Central and South American grassroots social movement that is manifesting itself among numerous Indigenous groups. This time, Guatemalans have taken to the streets in large numbers to oppose a new neoliberal austerity budget by the government. Furious protesters are also demanding that their leaders address rampant government corruption or resign. Miko Peled, author and activist, brings his wealth of knowledge about the Israeli occupation of Palestine to Radio Sputnik to discuss a recent Jerusalem Post article arguing that 49% of Israelis surveyed want a potential Biden administration to relaunch talks with the Palestinians, while only 36% oppose the idea. Additionally, as the normalization of diplomatic relations with Israel spreads throughout the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travels to Saudi Arabia. Could this be the next Muslim nation to recognize Israel, and what would be the fallout?Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, checks in from London to update us on the UK government's attempt to navigate the seemingly endless task of completing the nation's contentious divorce from the European Union. In the latest plot twist, reports are surfacing that there has been progress in talks on a trade deal between Britain and the EU, and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson now plans to intervene in the negotiations. British outlet The Telegraph suggested that December 1 is now the unofficial deadline for concluding the talks.

Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, joins us to discuss how Biden's team has made contact with world leaders, yet in late 2016, the FBI investigated Flynn "when he was a transition official for the possible 'crime' of talking to Russia about foreign policy," as Glenn Greenwald wrote in a Tuesday article.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and wellness expert, joins us to discuss the bleak outlook for COVID-19 infections in the US. As an example, the Washington Post reported Tuesday, "In North Dakota, health care workers with asymptomatic cases of the coronavirus will be allowed to keep working as the number of infected patients outstrips the staff members needed to care for them, the governor said this week."Jamarl Thomas, co-host of Radio Sputnik's Fault Lines, joins us to discuss both US political parties' "anti-democratic hijinks," as a November 6 MintPress News article calls them. The piece notes that "the bipartisan foreign policy establishment cheers on anti-democratic action abroad but frowns upon it at home."Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, joins us to discuss the Democratic party's attacks on progressive lawmakers. "Within hours of the media's declaration that Joe Biden had won the presidential election, the Democratic Party launched a vicious attack against its so-called 'left' wing, represented most prominently by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez," the World Socialist Web Site reported Monday.George Koo, journalist, social activist, international business consultant and chemical engineer, joins us to discuss his Sunday op-ed in the Asia Times. It's entitled, "Biden must avoid lose-lose confrontation with China," and the subhead notes, "The failures of Trump's China policies are obvious, and the way out for his Oval Office successor is just as clear."Nicolas Davis, Author of "Blood on Our Hands, the American Invasion of Iraq, joins us to discuss a Wednesday article in CounterPunch entitled "Will the Biden Team Be Warmongers or Peacemakers?" The article states, "People all over this pandemic-infested, war-torn and poverty-stricken world were shocked by the brutality and racism of the Trump administration, and are anxiously wondering whether Biden's presidency will open the door to the kind of international cooperation that we need to confront the serious problems facing humanity in this century."Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of Economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, joins us to discuss what lies ahead for the new Biden presidency. Even with US President Donald Trump's defeat in the election, "state and local governments face brutal cuts to vital public services like education and health care," Jacobin reported Tuesday. Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, joins us to discuss the Libya Arms Embargo. "In a November 10 letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) said the Trump administration had taken 'few concrete steps' to enforce the ban on providing weapons to Libya's warring parties and urged the United States to impose sanctions on those who violate arms trade restrictions," the Washington Post reported Tuesday.

Dr. Emmit Riley, political scientist and assistant professor of Africana studies at DePauw University, examines the race for the presidency. US President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden continue to campaign in key states on the eve of Election Day, pitching dueling visions on how to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins us to discuss UK politician Jeremy Corbyn's suspension from the Labour Party "just six months after stepping down as leader, threatening to ignite an internal civil war," as Sky News reported Friday. "A party spokesman said it was because of [Corbyn's] reaction to a bombshell report into how complaints of anti-Semitism were handled. Some MPs have welcomed the move as necessary, saying it shows Labour has changed and will take swift action against racism. But it has also sparked a rupture, with those who remain loyal to Mr. Corbyn vowing to challenge the decision and warning a divided party will lose the next election." Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, joins us to discuss new information about the alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. According to the Washington Post, photos and videos show that three of the six men facing federal charges in the alleged plot attended several anti-lockdown protests earlier in the year. Rall also weighs in on a Washington Post story from over the weekend, entitled: "Peaceful march to the polls in North Carolina is met with police pepper spray and arrests, causing outcry on eve of election." Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician, joins us to decipher the latest report coming from Johns Hopkins University about new COVID-19 cases. According to the University, 99,321 new cases were recorded in the US on Friday, and the five highest records for daily cases were all set in the eight days that preceded Saturday. She also discusses the Saturday announcement by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson that England will begin a second national lockdown this week. The news came just hours after the UK surpassed 1 million total COVID-19 cases. Robert Fantina, journalist and Palestine activist, joins us to discuss an October 5 Tehran Times report quoting Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh as saying that Iran is not concerned about who wins the US presidential election. “Whether this or that administration comes to power, the path is clear,” he said. “They should admit to their wrongdoing, stop this economic war, return to their commitments, and compensate for the damage.”Journalist and political analyst Caleb Maupin joins us to discuss the continued fallout of the resignation journalist Glenn Greenwald from The Intercept, which he co-founded in 2013. Greenwald said in an October 29 Substack post that "the brute censorship this week of [his] article — about the Hunter Biden materials and Joe Biden's conduct regarding Ukraine and China, as well [his] critique of the media's rank-closing attempt, in a deeply unholy union with Silicon Valley and the intelligence community, to suppress its revelations — eroded the last justification [he] could cling to for staying.” Netfa Freeman, Pan-Africanist, internationalist organizer and Host of Voices With Vision on WPFW 89.3 FM, joins us to discuss an October 24 report in Mondoweiss about the Trump administration pressing Sudan into partially normalizing relations with Israel. The article quoted a New York Times piece which said that "Sudanese officials have privately complained about being railroaded into a deal over Israel that was driven by American political interests, at a time when Sudan is struggling to get onto its feet." Daniel Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "The Velvet Coup," joins us to discuss the death of veteran UK journalist Robert Fisk at the age of 74. "Fisk won numerous awards for his reporting on the Middle East, starting from the 1970s," the BBC reported Monday. "But he also drew controversy for his sharp criticism of the US and Israel, and of Western foreign policy."

Thursday's debate saw US President Donald Trump try to portray Democratic challenger Joe Biden as a scandal-riddled, inadequate career politician, while Biden took aim at Trump's immigration policies and handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.For our first segment, co-hosts Dr. Wilmer Leon and Garland Nixon discuss Thursday evening's presidential debate, the US embassy in Turkey warning American citizens about potential terror attacks targeting them in Istanbul and whether the Hunter Biden story is Russian disinformation. They also weigh in on Patrick Lawrence's story in Consortium News about the damage Russiagate has done, as well as this week's news about an alleged plan by a 19-year-old to assassinate Joe Biden. Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and pediatric obesity expert, reports on the latest developments in coronavirus news. "The daily number of COVID-19 cases reported in the US rose to its highest level since July, as data show cases spreading across communities in every region of the country," the Wall Street Journal reported Friday. "The US reported 71,671 cases on Thursday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University — the most in a single day since July 24, when it hit 73,107, and the third-highest single-day total overall." Dr. Jack Rasmus, author and professor in the Economics and Politics departments at St. Mary's College of California, joins us to discuss Thursday night's debate and where the candidates stand on the economy. He also talks about the Republicans being angry that Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin appears to be giving ground to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in search of a stimulus deal. For our first Friday panel, Dr. Emmitt Riley, political scientist, author and assistant professor of Africana studies at DePauw University, joins us, along with American columnist, political cartoonist and author Ted Rall. They talk about the Trump-Biden debate and conclude with the story about the alleged Biden assassination plot. According to a judge's order signed earlier this month, "A timeline of internet searches conducted by the Defendant between March and May 2020 show the young man seeking information about Vice President Joe Biden's home address, state gun laws, rifle parts, and night vision goggles." The order also claims that the defendant posted a meme online about killing Biden, purchased an AR-15 in New Hampshire, traveled to a Wendy's within 4 miles of Biden's home and wrote a checklist note ending with the words "execute."For our final panel, we are joined by Margaret Kimberley, editor and senior columnist at Black Agenda Report and author of "Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents"; and Danny Haiphong, author and contributor to Black Agenda Report. Their discussion topics include the presidential debate and Biden's potential picks for his Cabinet, which his team says will consist of those with experience, instead of focusing on political preferences. Former Sen. Ted Kaufman (D-DE), one of Biden's advisors and his Senate successor, is quoted by Politico as saying, "I think this is about getting seasoned people that are qualified to do the job. We need people with experience, people that are smart as hell and people that reflect America."

On this episode of The Critical Hour, co-hosts Dr. Wilmer Leon and Garland Nixon talk with Dr. Yolandra Hancock about the US COVID-19 death toll surpassing 140,000 on Saturday. Case numbers have increased in 42 out of 50 states over the past two weeks, according to Reuters. "America is losing about 5,000 people to the virus every week. By contrast, neighboring Canada has reported total deaths of 8,800 since the pandemic started," Reuters reported Sunday. What are we to make of this? "With tensions between the US and China rapidly increasing by the day, China's ambassador to the US said Washington must make a 'fundamental choice' over its relationship with Beijing," AntiWar.com reported Sunday. Ambassador Cui Tiankai said in a Saturday interview with CNN: “I think that the fundamental question for the United States is very simple. Is the United States ready or willing to live with another country with a very different culture, a very different political and economic system … in peace and cooperate on so many and still growing global challenges?”"President Donald Trump plans to assert new authority this week to dispatch federal law enforcement agents to American cities to quell 'unrest,' White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Sunday on Fox News," Mother Jones reported Sunday. What has happened to federalism, the separation of powers between the states and the national government, as well as the First Amendment's clear protection of the "right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances"?"Consumer and workers' rights advocates are warning that new details of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's plan to shield businesses from coronavirus-related lawsuits show just how far the Republican leader is willing to go to ensure corporations are not held accountable for endangering public health and safety," Common Dreams reported Saturday. What's going on with this? "As the pandemic continues to grow, Brazil's president is using the crisis to erode democracy, even invoking the style and words of Mussolini. For now, government emergency aid ensures the support of Brazil's poorest," Le Monde diplomatique recently reported. What happens next? Is there an undeclared war against Iran? "A series of violent attacks, involving explosions and fires, has been hitting Iran. The incidents have been too frequent and intense to be random accidents," Paul R. Pillar wrote in a July 14 piece for Responsible Statecraft. Are these incidents part of an organized effort? A June 24 headline in Jacobin read: "The Supreme Court Has Given the Green Light to Bosses and Financial Managers to Steal From Workers." What's happened with the Supreme Court's Thole v. US Bank ruling? "Rather than weighing in on the allegations of theft, [Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett] Kavanaugh and his conservative cadre slammed the courthouse door on the plaintiffs and every other plaintiff like them, thereby creating the conditions for an impossible-to-deter crime spree," David Sirota wrote in the article.A Monday headline in the Grayzone read: "Influential DC-based Ukrainian think tank hosts neo-Nazi activist convicted for racist violence." Has there been a mainstreaming of neo-Nazism in Ukrainian politics? Guests: Dr. Yolandra Hancock - Board-certified physician and obesity medicine specialist Danny Haiphong - Author and contributor to Black Agenda Report David Schultz - Professor of political science at Hamline University Ted Rall - American columnist, author and syndicated editorial cartoonist Dr. Linwood Tauheed - Professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Nino Pagliccia - Activist and writer Daniel Lazare - Journalist and author Jareth Copus - Author

On this episode of The Critical Hour, co-hosts Dr. Wilmer Leon and Garland Nixon talk with Dr. Yolandra Hancock about the newest US states to require masks in public places. "The Central Intelligence Agency has conducted a series of covert cyber operations against Iran and other targets since winning a secret victory in 2018 when President Trump signed what amounts to a sweeping authorization for such activities, according to former US officials with direct knowledge of the matter," Yahoo News reported Wednesday. Is the US escalating cyberwarfare or responsibly responding to the new battlefield? "The Twitter accounts of major companies and individuals have been compromised in one of the most widespread and confounding hacks the platform has ever seen, all in service of promoting a bitcoin scam that appears to be earning its creator quite a bit of money," The Verge reported Wednesday. Among those whose accounts were hacked were former US President Barack Obama, former US Vice President Joe Biden, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Apple, Uber and music star Kanye West. We knew this was coming, and now we are here. Technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky gives commentary. In a speech at the White House's Rose Garden on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump announced new sanctions on China under the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, due to Beijing's “interference” in its own Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong. The president said that he was placing “massive tariffs” on Beijing and that he had signed an executive order mandating that Hong Kong would now be "treated the same as mainland China," with “no special privileges, no special economic treatment and no export of sensitive technologies.” What's the real motivation behind all of this? "Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a top Trump donor who has given more than $2 million to the GOP, warned employees that the agency needed to make 'difficult' decisions to stay afloat," Salon reported Wednesday, citing an article in the Washington Post. Some of these decisions could impact the timing of mail delivery and affect requests for absentee ballots and how they are returned. Is this an attempt to steal the upcoming November election? "US consumers boosted spending at stores and auto dealerships in June for the second straight month as states reopened for business, but the recent increase in coronavirus cases could again damp job growth and retail spending," the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. Is this really a positive indicator for the US economy? A Wednesday headline in The Grayzone read: "Assange's father speaks out, calls oppression of WikiLeaks founder a 'great crime of 21st century.'” Journalist and author Daniel Lazare elaborates."The May 25 killing of George Floyd, an unarmed African-American man, at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota shocked the world and set off mass protests against racism and police brutality in dozens of cities from the mid-western United States to the European Union, all in the midst of a global pandemic," journalist Max Parry wrote in June. "In the Twin Cities, what began as spontaneous, peaceful demonstrations against the local police quickly transformed into vandalism, arson and looting after the use of rubber bullets and chemical irritants by law enforcement against the protesters, while the initial incitement for the riots was likely the work of apparent agent provocateurs among the marchers." How concerned should we be?GUESTS:Dr. Yolandra Hancock - Board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist Mark Sleboda - Moscow-based international relations security analyst Patricia Gorky - Political organizer and technology and security analyst Michael Wong - Vice president of the San Francisco chapter of Veterans for Peace Greg Palast - Investigative reporter Dr. Dania Francis - Professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts Boston Daniel Lazare - Investigative journalist Wyatt Reed - Sputnik News analyst and producer for By Any Means Necessary

On this episode of The Critical Hour, co-hosts Dr. Wilmer Leon and Garland Nixon talk with Dr. Yolandra Hancock, a board-certified pediatrician, about the Trump administration's recommendation to have the National Guard work on coronavirus data. As the COVID-19 case numbers continue to soar across the US, one would think that collecting accurate data would be paramount. What is the response to the Trump administration's suggestion to employ the National Guard to help collect such information? A Tuesday article in Common Dreams said that 5.4 million Americans have lost their health insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Citing an estimate by Families USA, the outlet reported, "Amid the worst public health crisis in a century and a devastating economic downturn that has thrown tens of millions out of work, more than five million people in the US lost their health insurance in just three months this year." What's the immediate impact of this and what will be the ripple effects? On Tuesday, after an intense court struggle, "federal officials executed Daniel Lewis Lee, 47, who was convicted in 1999 of killing a family of three, at a penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana," the Washington Post reported. "Lee was pronounced dead at 8:07 a.m. Tuesday, the Bureau of Prisons said." A stay of execution had been ordered Monday by US District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who said legal issues had yet to be resolved and that “the public is not served by short-circuiting legitimate judicial process.” In a 5-4 decision handed down by the Supreme Court at 2 a.m. on Tuesday, the stay was overturned, and Lee was executed. What are we to make of this? A Tuesday headline in The Grayzone read: "Blockbuster oil bribery scandal exposes corrupt double-dealing of Guaidó so-called ‘attorney general'" – what are we to make of this? For insight we turn to the piece's author, Anya Parampil. She is a journalist based in Washington, DC, and has produced and reported several documentaries, including on-the-ground reports from the Korean Peninsula, Palestine, Venezuela and Honduras. "A new biometric identity platform partnered with the Gates-funded GAVI vaccine alliance and Mastercard will launch in West Africa and combine COVID-19 vaccinations, cashless payments and potential law enforcement applications," MintPress News reported on July 10 in an article titled "Africa to Become Testing Ground for 'Trust Stamp' Vaccine Record and Payment System." What is this “Trust Stamp” system, and why is it of concern?"Three of the biggest US banks [Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase and Citigroup] have set aside almost $28 billion amid concerns about customers defaulting on loans due to the pandemic," the BBC reported on Tuesday. "JPMorgan said it expected the US unemployment rate to remain at nearly 11% at the end of the year, compared to the 6.6% it forecast in April. The bank said it had set aside more than $10 billion for losses, including nearly $9 billion to build its reserves." These three banks have suffered real losses this past quarter. Are these banks correct in warning of a coming economic downturn? Is this of concern? "The Houthi health ministry spokesman said air raids by a Saudi-led coalition hit residential houses in the al-Hazm district, killing nine people including two children and two women," Reuters reported Wednesday about airstrikes in Yemen. "Two residents told Reuters seven people had been killed." This is the "third such incident since June as violence resurges in the war-damaged country," the outlet noted. Geopolitical analyst and content strategist Randi Nord tells us more about this issue. And in our final segment, author Danny Haiphong discusses his new book, "American Exceptionalism and American Innocence: A People's History of Fake News." Guests: Dr. Yolandra Hancock - Board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist Joel Segal - Co-founder of and current board member for Progressive Democrats of America, as well as attorney and co-author of the “Medicare for All” bill HR676 Margaret Kimberley - Black Agenda Report editor and senior columnist Anya Parampil - Washington, DC-based journalist and writer for The Grayzone Dr. Clarence Lusane - Political scientist, former chair of Howard University's Political Science Department, author, professor and activist Dr. Jack Rasmus - Economist and professor of economics at St. Mary's College in California Randi Nord - Founder and editor of Geopolitics Alert, geopolitical analyst and content strategist Danny Haiphong - Writer, political analyst and author of "American Exceptionalism and American Innocence: A People's History of Fake News"

On this episode of The Critical Hour, Dr. Wilmer Leon is joined by Dr. Yolandra Hancock, who is a public health expert with a focus on health disparities; a professor at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University; and a board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist who provides best-in-class health and wellness care to children and adolescents who are fighting childhood obesity.In spite of what many people in positions of leadership in the US and throughout the world are saying or not saying, when you look at the rates of infection for COVID-19 in their true, international context, the pandemic isn't ending — it's surging. In the wake of the extrajudicial murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbury and Breonna Taylor, House Democrats led by the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) unveiled the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 this week. The CBC pulled out their kente cloth props and took a knee with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) in one of the worst photo opportunities of all time to promote the legislation. November 3, Election Day in the US, is still five months away, but the battle for the ballot rages on. Democrats are challenging a rule in Arizona that could toss out "thousands" of mail-in votes in the state, Reuters reported Wednesday. The Democratic National Committee is suing Arizona's secretary of state, seeking to give voters five business days following a federal election to correct ballots that weren't signed properly, which are not counted under the state's current election rules. GUESTS: Dr. Yolandra Hancock — Board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist who combines her hands-on clinical experience and public health expertise with her passion for building vibrant families and communities by providing patient-empowering, best-in-class health and wellness care to children and adolescents who are fighting childhood obesity. Margaret Kimberley — Editor and senior columnist at Black Agenda Report and author of the book "Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents." Dr. Emmit Riley — Assistant professor of Africana studies at DePauw University.