Loud & Clear

Latest Episodes:

John Bolton Huffs and Puffs but Can't Blow Venezuela's House Down May 09, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kevin Zeese, co-coordinator of Popular Resistance and a member of the Embassy Protection Collective; Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODE PINK and a member of the Embassy Protection Collective; and from Caracas by Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com.
DC’s power company shut off the electricity in the Venezuelan Embassy yesterday reportedly on orders from Venezuelan coup leader Juan Guaido’s so-called ambassador Carlos Vecchio. Members of the Embassy Protection Collective are still inside as tenants of the Venezuelan government. Meanwhile, the Venezuelan government arrested the vice president of the national assembly for treason over his role in last week’s military push to overthrow president Maduro.
Today we continue our weekly series “Criminal Injustice,” where we talk 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, joins the show.
The Senate Intelligence Committee has now subpoenaed Donald Trump, Jr. over the Trump Tower meeting, despite the 400-page Mueller report that investigates that meeting and all contacts with the president’s campaign and finds no evidence of collusion. Meanwhile, the House Judiciary Committee voted yesterday to hold Attorney General Barr in contempt of Congress. The hosts are joined by Jim Kavanagh, founder of thepolemicist.net, whose most recent article on the subject is "Investigation Nation: Mueller, Russiagate, and Fake Politics."
As the Trump administration adopts an increasingly hostile attitude towards North Korea, the DPRK has moved in the last week to conduct two new tests of weapons systems in a warning to Washington. Can the negotiations be put back on track? Brian and John speak with Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network.
The European Union rejected the 60-day deadline announced by Iran in response to the latest round of suffocating U.S. sanctions. The future of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal is in deepening jeopardy. Massoud Shadjareh, founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
South African voters went to the polls yesterday in an election marked by the rise of new left wing political forces and growing momentum behind land redistribution to address the legacy of apartheid colonial rule. Results are continuing to trickle in. Glen Ford, executive editor of Black Agenda Report, joins Brian and John.
Today we continue our weekly segment dealing 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? Karl Grossman, a professor at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury, joins the show.

US Escalation: On the Road to War with Iran May 08, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by international affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said today that Iran would no longer comply with parts of the landmark nuclear deal, the JCPOA, and will resume uranium enrichment if the other countries that remain in the deal--China, France, Germany, Russia, and the UK--fail to protect Iran’s banking and oil sectors. The move comes as Washington has ramped up military and economic pressure on Iran.
Drivers for rideshare services Uber and Lyft are going on strike today in more than a dozen cities across the United States, as well as in the UK, Australia, and around South America. Drivers want a liveable wage, job security, and regulated fares, among other things. After factoring in commissions, fees, and vehicle expenses, the average driver makes $9.21 an hour, but has no health insurance, no retirement, and no job security. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
The House Judiciary Committee voted today to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress, a misdemeanor, for failing to provide it with an unredacted copy of the Mueller report and for failing to appear before the committee to testify. Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that Barr should be held in contempt, but she has not yet scheduled a floor vote. Meanwhile, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler says he may also seek to hold former White House Counsel Don McGahn in contempt for refusing to testify. Brian and John speak with Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers.
The New York Times has acquired Donald Trump’s tax returns from 1985 to 1994. They show that Trump’s companies lost $1.17 billion during that period, while the man and his family continued to earn hundreds of millions of dollars. Trump’s paper losses were so significant, that he did not pay any income taxes at all for eight years. Not a single dollar. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at rall.com, joins the show.
Millions of South Africans went to the polls today in the first election since Cyril Ramaphosa became president early last year amid promises to rid his African National Congress of corruption and redistribute the country’s land in favor of the Black majority. The ANC is almost certain to retain its status as the largest party, but with newer parties like the Economic Freedom Fighters rising in the polls its majority is in doubt. Eugene Puryear, the host of By Any Means Necessary, which you can hear every day, Monday through Friday, here on Sputnik Radio, joins Brian and John.
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. Sputnik news analysts and producers 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.

US-EU Tension: What's Behind the Cancellation of Pompeo-Merkel Meeting? May 07, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Berlin-based independent journalist Diani Barreto.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday abruptly canceled a visit to Germany, where he was scheduled to meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel. Pompeo’s office cited “pressing issues” as the reason for the cancelation. The German Foreign Minister said the visit would be quickly rescheduled.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell delivered a speech on the floor of the Senate today decrying ongoing speculation over the Russia probe. He said rumors of a conspiracy between President Trump and Russia had been proven false and that the case was closed. Meanwhile, 500 former prosecutors have signed a letter saying that if President Trump weren’t president, he would have been prosecuted. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World,” joins the show.
National Security Advisor John Bolton made an unusually strong anti-Iran statement this week, while the Pentagon ordered a carrier strike force to the Persian Gulf in response to undisclosed intelligence that there was a threat in the region to US interests. Well, the news outlet Axios has found that that intelligence came from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself, who has a vested interest in a conflict between Iran and the United States. Brian and John speak with Ben Norton, he’s a journalist with the Grayzone Project and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast.
President Trump yesterday pardoned a former soldier who had been convicted of killing an Iraqi prisoner in cold blood. Michael Behenna served five years in the military prison at Leavenworth, Kansas and was released in 2014. He had originally been sentenced to 25 years. Trump said that Behenna was “entirely deserving” of a pardon. Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
The ceasefire between Israel and Gaza appears to be holding, thanks to intervention by the United Nations and the government of Egypt. Meanwhile, Qatar announced that it would send $480 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza. Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday 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 Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.

U.S. Sends Carrier to Persian Gulf: Bluff or is War on the Horizon? May 06, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek (sitting in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
The Trump Administration announced yesterday that it would send an aircraft carrier strike group and Air Force bombers to the Persian Gulf because of what it called “troubling and escalating indications and warnings” related to Iran. National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Sunday that the deployment was meant to send “a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on US interests or those of our allies would be met with unrelenting force.” Military analysts in Washington, however, that they were unaware of any new threat to the US, US interests, or US allies in the region.
The pro-Juan Guaido siege against the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington continues. Members of the Embassy Protection Collective remain inside. Kevin Zeese, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, whose work is at popularresistance.org, 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 Walter and John.
President Trump issued a series of threats against China via Twitter yesterday, saying that the US would raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods to 25 percent if China doesn’t relent in trade talks. The Chinese rebuffed the president, but said that trade talks would continue. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 471 points at the opening because of the tweets. Jude Woodward, the author of the book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?,” joins the show.
A United Nations report released this morning says that one million plant and animal species are on the verge of extinction because of human activity. The species range from whales to insects barely detectable by the naked eye. The mass extinction, if it occurs, could seriously disrupt the food chain, and it could adversely affect food and water security and farming. Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation” from Monthly Review Press, joins Walter and John.
Israel and Gaza agreed to a ceasefire this morning after the worst violence between the two sides since 2014. Four Israelis were killed when Palestinians launched rocket attacks on Friday. Twenty three Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes, including two pregnant women and two infants. The latest round of fighting began when Israeli forces carried out yet another mass shooting during Friday demonstrations along the border of Gaza. Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book “The Battle for Justice in Palestine,” and Miko Peled, the author of the new book "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five,” join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa 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 joins the show.

Venezuela Quashes Coup Yet Again: Bolivarian Revolution Still Stands May 03, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and 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 attempted coup in Venezuela, British local elections where the Conservatives lost hundreds of representatives, and the synagogue shooting earlier in the week.
Facebook announced yesterday that it was banning several people whom it called “dangerous.” Is this not a direct attack on free speech? Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
A group of activists who are invited guests of the Venezuelan government have been enduring siege-like conditions to prevent the illegal seizure of the country’s embassy in Washington, D.C. by supporters of coup leader Juan Guaido. And supporters of the right-wing opposition are growing increasingly abusive and violent against the supporters of the embassy protectors gathered outside. Brian and John speak with Kei Pritsker, an activist with the Embassy Protection Collective.
The Department of Labor announced this morning that the unemployment rate fell to 3.6 percent, a 49-year low, as the economy added jobs for the 103rd consecutive month. Despite the strong economy, however, the gap between the rich and poor continued to grow. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” whose work is at www.jackrasmus.com, joins Brian and John.
Following weeks of calls for her to step down, Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh resigned yesterday. Pugh is the subject of a federal investigation into allegations that she made $800,000 from the sale of her self-published children’s book to major healthcare companies that had business with the city. Eddie Conway, a journalist with The Real News Network who was a leading member of the Baltimore branch of the Black Panther Party and a political prisoner for 44 years, 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.

Will the UK Extradite Assange? May 02, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net.
Julian Assange today appeared in a London court by videolink for a preliminary hearing to fight his extradition to the United States. A judge asked Assange if he was prepared to surrender himself for extradition. He replied, “I do not wish to surrender myself for extradition for doing journalism that’s won many, many awards and affected many people.” An attorney representing the US government then asked for a formal extradition hearing on June 12.
British Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday fired Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson after a British newspaper published classified information from a National Security Council meeting that the UK was planning to give Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei partial access to the country’s 5G network. Williamson has adamantly denied that he was the source of the leak. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
The U.S. government continues to make aggressive moves to assert power over international energy markets. Sanctions waivers issued for purchasers of Iranian oil officially expired today, and as a European energy summit kicks off in Brussels the Trump administration is pressuring EU members to replace Russian natural gas supplies with imports from the United States. Brian and John speak with Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
Today marks five years since 46 people were killed in an arson attack on a trade union headquarters in the Ukrainian city of Odessa carried out by a far right mob. In the years that followed, neo-Nazi sentiment and organizations became increasingly normalized in the country. 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.
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.
As the latest military putsch by self-proclaimed Venezuelan leader Juan Guaido falls apart, the United States is stepping up threats of a military assault on the country to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro’s government. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday that the Trump administration position is “crystal clear and incredibly consistent. Military action is possible.” Meanwhile, tensions inside the country continue following large demonstrations for and against the government. Paul Dobson, a writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years, currently as national president of Veterans for Peace, who recently returned from Venezuela where he was a member of a peace delegation, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
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.

Mueller Letter Conspiracy Supposed to Replace Debunked Russiagate May 01, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Attorney General William Barr testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee today and answered questions about the Mueller Report. Democrats criticized Barr harshly because he first released his own four-page analysis of the Mueller Report, apparently in an attempt to control news of its release. A redacted version of the report was released later.
Julian Assange was sentenced today to 50 weeks in prison by a UK court for skipping bail, close to the maximum allowable sentence. His lawyers, however, argue that he had a well-founded fear of extradition to the United States, where his fundamental human rights would be violated. Karen Kwiatkowski, an activist and former U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel who left the armed forces in protest of the invasion of Iraq, joins the show.
Last week, the NSA’s mass collection of Americans’ metadata under Section 215 of the Patriot Act was reported as ending. Our guest, Bill Binney said that he would believe it when he saw it. Today, new reports have surfaced that the White House will seek the permanent renewal of Section 215 that would once again allow NSA to collect and analyze the phone records of every American. Brian and John speak with Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower.
May Day demonstrations are taking place across the world, marking International Workers Day. Huge marches, acts of civil disobedience and clashes are taking place in nearly every country. Vijay Prashad, the Director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, Chief Editor of LeftWord Books, and the author of several books including most recently “Arab Spring, Libyan Winter,” joins the show.
For the first time ever, the US Air Force has used at F-35 fighter jet in a combat mission, using two of the aircraft to bomb an ISIS tunnel network and weapons cache in Iraq yesterday. The F-35 has long been a subject of complaint for its difficult maneuverability and its excessive cost. The Government Accounting Office estimates that the F-35 program will cost more than $1 trillion over its lifetime. Pierre Sprey, a special assistant to the Secretary of Defense, a former defense analyst who is considered to be one of the fathers of the F-16 and A-10 fighter jets. He is also one of the country’s foremost critics of the F-35, joins Brian and John.
Juan Guaido’s third coup attempt appears to fail once again. What’s driving the US effort to carry out the overthrow of a democratically elected government in Latin America? Is it oil? Is it regional domination? Is it both? Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “Blows Against the Empire: U.S. Imperialism in Crisis,” 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.

Venezuela Coup Leader Launches Armed Assault on Gov't with US Support Apr 30, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek (filling in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, and Nicole Roussell, Sputnik News analyst and producer.
Fierce clashes have taken place across Venezuela today as U.S.-backed self-proclaimed President Juan Guaido launched a military operation he claimed was the “final phase” of ending Nicolas Maduro’s presidency. Armed opposition supporters and a small group of military defectors are attempting to seize a key airbase in the capital, while huge crowds of Maduro supporters have rallied outside the presidential palace. Top Trump administration officials have publicly expressed their support for the coup attempt.
We continue our regular segment Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. In this weekly segment we talk about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, a professor and organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, joins the show.
President Trump yesterday ordered new restrictions on asylum seekers at the southern border, including application fees and new restrictions on work permits. He also ordered that all asylum requests be decided within 180 days. Walter and John speak with Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
The US military and intelligence prison at Guantanamo has been around for 17 years. Many of the prisoners there--almost none of whom have been charged with a crime--arrived when the facility was first opened. The military’s response is to gradually turn the prison into a geriatric care center and even into a hospice. Marjorie Cohn, former president of the National Lawyers Guild and editor of the book “The United States and Torture, Interrogation, Incarceration, and Abuse”, joins the show.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said that cross party talks on a Brexit plan should conclude by the end of the week. But the Labour Party is divided. Some members support Brexit strongly, while others want a second referendum. Neil Clark, journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins Brian and John.
We continue our weekly series False Profits -- A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Daniel Sankey, financial policy analyst, joins the show.

Wave of Fascist Attacks on Synagogues, Mosques & Black Churches Apr 29, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Julie Hurwitz, a civil rights attorney and partner at the law firm Goodman, Hurwitz and James.
A 19-year-old gunman opened fire inside a synagogue in Poway, California yesterday killing one woman and wounding at least four other people. The gunman had ranted on the internet against Muslims and Jews and said that he had taken his inspiration from recent attacks on a synagogue in Pittsburgh and on mosques in New Zealand. Are these racist, bigoted, and xenophobic attacks against worshippers the new normal in the United States?
The hosts take a look at the latest attempt to demonize and suppress alternative media -- cementing the dominance of big corporations and establishment narratives, a task that takes on special significance ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Sputnik news analyst Nicole Roussell joins the show.
Spaniards took to the polls this weekend and delivered a victory for the left of center government. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s Socialist Party was the biggest winner, but will need the help of smaller parties to form a government. The conservative Popular Party won just 66 seats, down from 137. And importantly, the far-right Vox Party won 26 seats and about 10 percent of the popular vote. Brian and John speak with Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly.
Russian officials held a press conference today revealing a new report about the so-called White Helmets, an organization in Syria presented as a humanitarian group that critics say has ties to terrorist militias and has been party to human rights violations. Lee Stranahan, host of the Radio Sputnik show Faultlines who was at the press conference covering the event for Sputnik News, joins the show.
Two American veterans, members of the group Veterans for Peace, were arrested at Shannon Airport in Ireland in March and charged with taking part in a protest against US military flights through Shannon on their way to the Middle East. But the wheels of justice turn slowly in Ireland. The vets’ passports have been confiscated and, even though the charges against them are very minor, they may not leave the country and a trial could be three years away. Tarak Kauff, one of the Veterans for Peace activists trapped in Ireland, joins Brian and John.
In a blockbuster story today, the Wall Street Journal reported that Boeing failed to inform Southwest Airlines and other carriers that a safety feature on the Boeing 737 Max-8 aircraft that warns pilots about malfunctioning sensors had been deactivated. FAA inspectors and managers also were unaware of the deactivation. Two 737 Max-8 jets crashed in the past six months, resulting in the deaths of some 500 people. Today, executives faced angry shareholders for the first time since the jets were grounded. Dr. Alan Diehl, an award-winning aviation psychologist and safety consultant, and a major air safety whistleblower in the 1990s, and Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa 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 joins the show.

Maria Butina Given 18 Months in Prison Because “She Is Russian” Apr 26, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analyst and producer Nicole Roussell.
Maria Butina, the Russian graduate student who pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to fail to register as a foreign agent, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison. She already has served nine months in jail awaiting trial. Prosecutors had accused Butina of a wide array of crimes, in addition to using sex to collect information, none of which was true, and they had to withdraw numerous accusations against her. Still, she gets prison time when American co-conspirators will sleep in their own beds tonight. And that’s despite the fact that she cooperated with prosecutors. Sputnik News analyst Nicole Roussell, who attended today’s sentencing hearing, joins the show.
Democratic presidential candidate and former vice president Joe Biden yesterday apologized to law professor Anita Hill for his treatment of Hill during the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination hearings that he chaired in 1991. Well, he didn’t really apologize. He said that he “regretted what she had to endure.” Hill responded that she was deeply unsatisfied with the statement and added that she was troubled by recent reports that Biden has repeatedly touched women in a way that made them feel uncomfortable. Brian and John speak with Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, the executive director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund.
Donald Trump took questions from the press today before departing to the NRA convention, giving a series of bizarre answers on a wide range of topics. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist at www.rall.com, joins the show.
NSA has is recommending the cancellation one of it’s most controversial collection program, the wholesale gathering of metadata from American citizens. The program was initially revealed by Edward Snowden and ruled illegal in 2015 unless it conformed with the USA Freedom Act. But does the NSA still retain vast spying operations targeting the public? Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower, 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.
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 Joe Biden’s presidential campaign announcement, efforts by the Trump white house to illegally seize the Venezuelan embassy in D.C. and efforts by US peace activists to prevent this illegal seizure, the summit between North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, The U.S. economic growth report and more. Walter Smolarek, Loud & Clear producer and Sputnik News analyst, joins the show.

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