Loud & Clear

Latest Episodes:

Why the US Healthcare System Won’t Stop the Coronavirus Mar 05, 2020

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Leo Cuello, an attorney and the director of health policy for the National Health Law Program.
Vice President Pence said yesterday that coronavirus testing and treatment will be covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies. But what about those Americans who don’t have insurance coverage? Will they elect to not get tested at all?
After spending some $700 million of his own money and winning only a handful of delegates, former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg dropped out of the race and endorsed Joe Biden. And now Bloomberg is putting even more money where his mouth is. He is transferring all of his prepaid assets--campaign offices, staff, and even advertising--to Biden. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Warren announced that she was dropping out of the race. Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com, and whose writings are at ThisCantBeHappening.net, joins the show.
Russian President Putin and Turkish President Erdogan met in Moscow today to try to hammer out a deal that avoids further violence in Syria. Faced with increasing military losses in Idlib Province and a wave of refugees, Erdogan is eager for a ceasefire, and western European leaders are eager for Putin to step up pressure on the Turks to stem the flow of refugees. Brian and John speak with Mark Sleboda, a foreign affairs and security analyst.
The International Criminal Court greenlit an investigation of war crimes committed in Afghanistan since 2003 by Afghan forces, US forces, and the Taliban. The decision is the first involving US forces in the court’s history. The ICC’s chief prosecutors said she has evidence that US forces “committed acts of torture, cruel treatment, outrages upon personal dignity, rape, and sexual violence” in Afghanistan and in clandestine CIA facilities. Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor of American history whose latest book is “The Russians Are Coming, Again: The First Cold War as Tragedy, the Second as Farce,” joins the show.
Psychologists working for Immigration and Customs Enforcement are using confidential therapy notes from their conversations with detained immigrants against them in court in order to hasten their deportation. The Trump administration argues that the policy is legal. And while it may be, professional therapy organizations say it is unethical and immoral. Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, joins Brian and John.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, joins the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.

Was Trump the Big Winner in the Democratic Party Super Tuesday Primary? Mar 04, 2020

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, whose work is at www.rall.com, and Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using 'Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests.”
Yesterday was Super Tuesday and it was a very big day for Joe Biden. Two weeks ago it looked like the former Vice President’s campaign was all but dead. But yesterday he became the clear frontrunner, besting Bernie Sanders in 10 of the 14 state contests. Biden won in Alabama, Arkansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Sanders won in California, Colorado, Utah, and Vermont. Mike Bloomberg took American Samoa and then dropped out of the race this morning. But in the end, is it Donald Trump who was really the big winner?
The peace agreement between the United States and the Taliban appears to have lasted about a few days. The US carried out an airstrike this morning against Taliban fighters who had apparently attacked an Afghan National Defense and Security Forces checkpoint. The airstrike came hours after President Trump called Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar to warn him not to resume violence against the Afghan government. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.
The coronavirus continues to spread and, according to the World Health Organization, is now deadlier than the flu virus. It does not, however, transmit as easily as the flu, and scientists around the world are working on a vaccine. Meanwhile, new cases of the virus have been confirmed in New York City, Florida, and California. And for the first time, there have been more deaths from coronavirus outside China than in. Brian and John speak with Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious disease physician and vice chair of the Infectious Disease Society of America’s Global Health Committee.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including Super Tuesday, the coronavirus outbreak, the war in Syria, and the war in Afghanistan. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.

Super Tuesday: Dem. Elites Prop Up Pathetic Biden Campaign vs. Sanders Mar 03, 2020

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Nicole Roussell, a Sputnik News analyst and producer.
Today is Super Tuesday, and voters in 14 states and American Samoa or going to the polls to choose a Democratic candidate for president. Fully one third of all the delegates necessary to win the nomination will be chosen today. There’s been a lot of movement in the race in the past day or two. Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar dropped out of the race and they and Beto O’Rourke all endorsed Joe Biden.
The coronavirus continues to spread across the United States, and six more people died from it yesterday in Washington State. People have now tested positive for coronavirus in 18 states, and the Centers for Disease Control estimates that as many as 70 percent of Americans eventually will become infected. Hospitals already are preparing for a pandemic, and schools, theaters, and other gathering places are making contingency plans to close. KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia who is a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins the show.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks set to remain on as the country’s leader, as his Likud Party took 59 seats of the 61 necessary to govern. Netanyahu will now seek to form a coalition with a smaller party to create a governing bloc. The Labour Party, long the dominant party in Israeli politics, won only seven seats. But the Joint List, the party of Arab Israelis, won a record 15. Brian and John speak with David Sheen, he is an independent writer and filmmaker and you can check out more of his work at www.davidsheen.com.
A federal judge has ordered Hillary Clinton to sit for a sworn deposition for the first time in connection with her use of a private email account during her tenure as Secretary of State. The order is in response to a five-and-a-half year old Freedom of Information Act suit brought by Judicial Watch seeking emails related to the attack in Benghazi, Libya. Clinton had earlier submitted written responses, but the judge ruled that they were “incomplete, unhelpful, and cursory.” Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--The Frozen Republic, The Velvet Coup, and America's Undeclared War, joins the show.
The Trump Administration has ordered four Chinese state-owned media outlets to slash the number of staff that they have working in the United States. This move comes after China expelled three Wall Street Journal reporters last month after the US announced Chinese journalists would need to register under the Foreign Missions Act. Sixty Chinese journalists will have to leave the country. And this morning, Beijing vowed to retaliate. John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations, joins Brian and John.
The Democratic Party establishment is going all-out to deny Bernie Sanders a victory on Super Tuesday. Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar dropped out of the race to endorse Joe Biden, and a string of other high-profile establishment endorsements quickly followed. Walter Smolarek, a Sputnik News analyst and producer, joins the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; and Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag, join the show.

Democratic Establishment Mounts Full Court Press to Stop Sanders’ Surge Mar 02, 2020

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jodi Dean, a professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a commentator on political issues, whose latest book is called “Comrade.”
Super Tuesday is tomorrow, with voters in 14 states and American Samoa going to the polls to cast votes for Democratic candidates for president. California and Texas are the big prizes, with about a third of all delegates necessary for the nomination between them. The Democratic Party elite are desperate to stop Sanders.
A second American has died of the coronavirus, this time a man in his 70s from Kirkland, Washington. The virus apparently is more virulent than previously thought, and its victims likely have been undercounted in the United States because of delays in testing. Meanwhile, the disease is spreading across Europe and the United States. Mike Wong, the Vice President of the San Francisco chapter of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.
The United States and the Taliban signed an agreement over the weekend laying out a 14-month timetable for full US troop withdrawal in exchange for the prevention of attacks against the US and allied foreign forces. Both sides pledged to support a lasting peace between the Taliban and the Afghan government. But this morning, Taliban forces attacked a football match in Khost Province and said that they had no intention of ceasing operations against government forces. Brian and John speak with Dr. Marvin Weinbaum, the Scholar-in-Residence and director of the Middle East Institute’s Center for Pakistan and Afghanistan Studies.
Turkey shot down two Syrian fighter jets over the weekend hours after Syria shot down a Turkish drone. The Syrian Army also captured a major highway in Idlib Province that had been controlled by extremists. Turkish president Erdogan announced that he would meet with Russian president Putin in Moscow on Thursday to discuss Syria. And in the meantime, Turkish police arrested and harassed a Sputnik News journalist and released him only after intervention from President Putin. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former British Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including Joe Biden’s victory in south carolina, why Pete Buttiegeg actually dropped out of the race just two weeks after CNN proclaimed him the front runner, tomorrow’s Super Tuesday vote, the intensifying conflict between Turkey and Syria and Russia, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.

Biggest Stock Market Drop Since 2008...& It’s Not Just the Coronavirus Feb 29, 2020

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ben Norton, he’s associate editor and journalist with The Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, and Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including economic effects of the coronavirus, the 2020 primary and establishment attack on Bernie Sanders, and more.
The South Carolina primary is tomorrow and the latest polls show that Joe Biden is surging in the state. He has 36 percent to Bernie Sanders’ 16 percent and Tom Steyer at 15. Sanders is leading in just about every Super Tuesday state, meanwhile, and he is campaigning today in Massachusetts, trying to win that from Elizabeth Warren. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “the scourge of neo-liberalism: US policy from Reagan to trump,” whose work is at www.jackrasmus.com, joins the show.
Thirty three Turkish soldiers were killed in an air raid early this morning in Syria’s Idlib Province, raising tensions to an unprecedented level. The Russian government said that it was not responsible for the attack, and Turkish President Erdogan said his government would do anything and everything to protect Turkish troops. Meanwhile, NATO called an emergency meeting to discuss the development, and France sent two battleships to the eastern Mediterranean. Brian and John speak with Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
Pedestrian fatalities on US roads have increased by more than 50 percent over the past decade, while deaths of people riding in vehicles remained unchanged, according to a new analysis by the Governors highway Safety Association. The Association estimated that pedestrian deaths totaled 6,590 last year, the most in three decades. Katy Lang, a pedestrian safety advocate who is an expert in city planning & transportation, joins the show.
Israel will hold its third election in 18 months on Monday and, if the latest polls are to be believed, Benjamin Netanyahu will come out ahead of his main challenger, Benny Gantz. The Israeli media have noted Gantz’s recent move to the left, causing Netanyahu to widen his lead from the right.
Still, forming a new government will be the result of protracted negotiations. David Sheen, an independent writer and filmmaker whose work is at www.davidsheen.com, joins Brian and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.

Is America’s Public Healthcare System Ready to Handle the Coronavirus? Feb 27, 2020

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Saskia Popescu, an infection prevention epidemiologist whose research focuses on the poor utilization of infection prevention and control within the United States.
President Trump yesterday tried to downplay the spread of the coronavirus as he appointed Vice President Trump to lead the country’s efforts to contain the outbreak. But as the virus spreads, can the US healthcare system keep up?
With the South Carolina primary coming up this weekend, and Super Tuesday just around the corner on Tuesday, the 2020 race for the Democratic Party nominee is heating up. Bernie Sanders is the frontrunner and is being attacked from all sides, including other candidates, of course, but also the corporate-owned media and the DNC. Darren Gibson, a host of the radio show and podcast Southpaws, a political analysis show focusing on social & economic issues, on Pacifica and also on Global Community Radio Mondays at 9:00 pm, joins the show.
Today is Day 4 of the Julian Assange extradition hearing in London. With Julian still inside a bulletproof box, attorneys argued over whether international or domestic UK law would determine whether the Wikileaks cofounder is extradited to the US. Brian and John speak with Walter Smolarek, a Sputnik News analyst and producer at the courthouse where the hearing is taking place.
Newly declassified accounts of the CIA torture program show that CIA interrogators were essentially using detainees in human experiments. James Mitchell, one of the psychologists who was paid millions to develop "enhanced interrogation techniques," has recently claimed in court that interrogators were supposed to practice techniques on each other. But nonetheless, these accounts provide new details showing otherwise. Brian speaks with co-host John, CIA whistleblower on the torture program.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced this week his plans to build 3,500 homes for Jewish settlers into the occupied West Bank region. Building in this region, the E1 area, would eliminate any possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state, despite the claims of Trump’s so-called Peace Plan. Tamara Nassar, associate editor of Electronic Intifada, joins Brian and John.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), joins the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.

Democratic Debate Degenerates into Rabid Red-Baiting Feb 26, 2020

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, whose work is at www.rall.com.
Last night’s Democratic debate in Charleston, South Carolina was a free-for-all, with six candidates attacking frontrunner Bernie Sanders and a resurgence of the pointed fight between Elizabeth Warren and Mike Bloomberg. Meanwhile, Joe Biden did his best to convince viewers that he has the most experience and the best chance of beating Trump.
Today is Day 3 of the Julian Assange extradition hearing in London. Julian’s attorneys today continued laying out their defense of the Wikileaks co-founder, arguing that his prosecution is political in nature and that he should not be extradited to the United States. Walter Smolarek, a Sputnik News analyst and producer who is at the courthouse where the hearing is taking place, joins the show.
The House Judiciary Committee yesterday introduced a bill to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence and Surveillance Act, or FISA, court. But there are some changes to the legislation. Among other things, the draft legislation would repeal authority to access call detail records on an ongoing basis, and would also require the declassification review and public release of significant decisions, orders, and opinions within 180 days of being issued. The proposed legislation would expand mandatory reporting on the number of search terms and queries concerning a U.S. citizen to include reporting on search terms and queries that are “reasonably likely to identify a United States person.” Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Syrian Arab Army forces yesterday attacked towns in Idlib Province in an attempt to push rebel forces out of the area. But Turkish President Erdogan said that his own forces would force the Syrians away from Turkish outposts in the area. Erdogan decried Russian control of the airspace over Idlib and said, “Our biggest problem is that we cannot use the airspace over Idlib. We hope to have a solution soon.” Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
After 10 months of silence, UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has again called for the UK government to drop extradition proceedings against Julian Assange. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson refused to comment specifically on the Assange case, but instead said that the current extradition treaty with the United States is “unbalanced.” Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the further-right foreign policy in the Democratic debate last night, the ongoing Julian Assange extradition trial in London this week, and more. Sputnik News analyst and producer of this show Nicole Roussell joins the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.

Julian Assange Being Treated as a Terrorist at Extradition Trial Feb 25, 2020

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Walter Smolarek, a Sputnik News analyst and producer at the courthouse where the hearing is taking place.
Today is Day 2 of the Julian Assange extradition hearing in London. Julian’s attorneys today began laying out their defense of the Wikileaks co-founder, arguing that his prosecution is political in nature and that he should not be extradited to the United States.
Another Democratic debate is scheduled for tonight, this time in South Carolina. Media commentators are unanimous in their belief that just about everybody will attack frontrunner Bernie Sanders tonight, with challenger Mike Bloomberg announcing earlier in the day that he will focus all of his upcoming media spend on hitting Sanders. Meanwhile, the latest polls show Joe Biden slightly ahead of Sanders. Bloomberg is not on the ballot. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show.
Our friend Lee Camp has a new book out, and a LOT of people are talking about it. Bullet Points and Punch Lines is a hilarious collection of writing on the most current and devastating issues of our time, like the Pentagon failing its first and so-far only audit, the nuclear doomsday clock ticking ever closer to midnight, and Wall Street analyzed as a Ponzi scheme. Brian and John speak with Lee Camp, a comedian, activist, journalist, host of the television show “Redacted Tonight” on RT America, and whose latest book is called “Bullet Points & Punch Lines: The Most Important Commentary Ever Written on the Epic American Tragicomedy,” available at leecamp.com.
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.

FBI To Americans: Two Most Popular US Politicians Are Russian Assets Feb 24, 2020

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Henry Williams, executive director of the Gravel Institute and the former co-director of the Mike Gravel for President Committee.
Bernie Sanders won the Nevada caucuses convincingly on Saturday, setting himself apart as the candidate to beat for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Sanders finished with 46.8 percent, followed by Joe Biden at 20.4, Pete Buttigieg at 13.9, and Elizabeth Warren at 9.8. They all now move to South Carolina for that state’s primary on Saturday, which will follow a debate mid-week.
The blame game continued over the weekend, as CNN, MSNBC, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and other outlets accused Russia of somehow “interfering” in the 2020 election. The accusations came out of a statement that a senior intelligence official apparently made last week in a closed meeting of the House Intelligence Committee, when he said that Intelligence Community analysis indicated that Russia “preferred” Donald Trump. Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist, analyst specializing in U.S. national security policy, and the author of “Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare,” joins the show.
The extradition hearing of Julian Assange begins today in London and is expected to last into July, with a break of about a month. The United States has asked that Assange be sent to Alexandria, VA to face 18 counts of espionage and computer hacking for the revelations that Wikileaks have made over the years. Brian and John speak with Walter Smolarek, a Sputnik News analyst and producer who is in London for the hearing this week.
South Korea raised its official virus alert to the highest level as health officials there announced 833 new cases of coronavirus. Health authorities in Iran reported 12 new deaths related to the virus, and Italy reported four, prompting Italian authorities to implement nationwide quarantines and to cancel public events. John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the Assange extradition hearing that will be ongoing this week, the Nevada caucus results and where the race is going this week as the South Carolina primary comes up, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.

Witchhunt! Anti-Russia, Anti-China Hysteria Gathers Steam in Washington Feb 21, 2020

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Aaron Maté, a journalist with The Grayzone and The Nation. Check out his podcast Pushback with Aaron Maté.
A senior US intelligence official told lawmakers on Capitol Hill this week that Russia wants to see President Trump reelected. The comment infuriated the President and sent shockwaves through Washington. But what, exactly, is it based on? It appears to have been an off-handed comment by a CIA analyst. And Acting Director of National Intelligence John McGuire apparently did not offer any intelligence to support the statement.
Nevada voters will caucus on Saturday and will decide who they want to be the Democratic nominee for President. The latest polls show Bernie Sanders with a commanding lead in the state. He’s at 31 percent, with Pete Buttigieg at 17 percent, Joe Biden at 16, Elizabeth Warren at 12, Amy Klobuchar at 11, Tom Steyer at 10, and Tulsi Gabbard at 2 percent. The candidates will then focus on the South Carolina primary, which takes place a week later. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using 'Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests,” joins the show.
Syrian troops, backed by the Russian air force, have been battling to eliminate the last rebel strongholds in the Idlib region, while Turkish forces are actively fighting the Syrian government. Brian and John speak with Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
Salvador Romero, the head of Bolivia’s electoral commission, said yesterday that former president Evo Morales was ineligible to run for a Senate seat in an upcoming May rerun of an election that was overturned in a military coup late last year. Morales found asylum in Mexico and then in Argentina and is leading his party’s campaign from exile. Adrienne Pine, an associate professor of anthropology at American University and a member of the Venezuelan Embassy Protection Collective, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the attempt to resuscitate the Russiagate narrative, the 2020 election and Mike Bloomberg’s appalling record, the Bernie Sanders movement, the science of social change and movement building, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell join the show.

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