Loud & Clear

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Growing Inequality and Poverty in the US: Economic Theories for Change Jul 25, 2018

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Stephanie Kelton, a prominent economist who advised Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign, professor of public policy and economics at Stony Brook University, and former chief economist on the U.S. Senate Budget Committee, and Jim Kavanagh, editor of thepolemicist.net.
Mainstream capitalist economic theory has increasingly been called into question since the global economic crisis of 2008 exposed the gaping holes in neoliberal orthodoxy. One new school of thought that’s emerged in recent years is modern monetary theory. The hosts talk with experts on the theory. This is part one of two interviews.
Millions of Pakistanis went to the polls today to elect a new government. And as usually happens there during elections, dozens of people were killed in related violence, including three in a bombing attack on a polling station in Quetta. Opinion polls show that the two frontrunners are former international cricket star Imran Khan and disgraced former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. And international observers say they are seeing blatant attempts to manipulate the polls. Marvin Weinbaum, the Scholar-in-Residence and director of the Middle East Institute’s Center for Pakistan and Afghanistan Studies, joins the show.
Beyond Nuclear with Kevin Kamps is Loud & Clear’s regular Wednesday segment, which looks at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today the hosts go back to basics on nuclear weapons. Brian and John speak with Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell.
Markies McGlockton, a father of three, was shot and killed by Michael Drejka in front of a convenience store in Clearwater, Florida last week. Drejka was causing a disturbance—something he has been fined for in the past—and McGlockton had gotten out of his car to confront him when Drejka pulled a gun and began firing. Now the Sheriff of Pinellas County has said his hands are tied because of the state’s stand your ground law, and that he won’t make an arrest. This is part one of this story. , joins the show.
Part two finishes the story about Markies McGlockton’s murder and the stand your ground defense in Florida. Markies McGlockton, a father of three, was shot and killed by Michael Drejka in front of a convenience store in Clearwater, Florida last week. Drejka was causing a disturbance—something he has been fined for in the past—and McGlockton had gotten out of his car to confront him when Drejka pulled a gun and began firing. Now the Sheriff of Pinellas County has said his hands are tied because of the state’s stand your ground law, and that he won’t make an arrest. Brad Schlesinger, an appellate attorney licensed to practice in the Supreme Court, and Michele Rayner, the attorney who is representing the family of Markies McGlockton, join Brian and John.
ISIS fighters carried out a major suicide bombing and initiated subsequent fighting in the southern Syrian town of Sweida this morning, killed at least 150 people. Sweida is controlled by the Assad government, which only recently dislodged ISIS fighters from it. Meanwhile, Israeli forces went on alert today—and air raid sirens sounded—for fear that the fighting could approach the Golan Heights, Syrian territory occupied by Israel since 1967. Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek joins the show.
Maria Butina, the Russian graduate student being accused of failing to register as an agent of a foreign government appeared in court in Washington today to schedule a trial date and associated hearings. Brian and John speak with Alex Rubinstein, a Sputnik news analyst and journalist who is on twitter at @RealAlexRubi and attended today’s hearing.
The European Union is preparing to impose $20 billion in new tariffs on American cars in response to President Trump’s tariffs on European goods two weeks ago. The EU’s trade chief said in advance of a meeting with Trump that the EU does not want a trade war, but would match US tariffs dollar for dollar. Meanwhile, Trump said the he was willing to provide midwestern farmers hit by the EU tariffs with $12 billion in cash assistance. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of a recent article in the World Review of Political Economy titled “Trump’s Déjà vu China Trade War,” joins the show.

Bill Introduced Mandating Impeachment for Unauthorized "Executive Wars" Jul 24, 2018

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Bruce Fein, a constitutional law scholar and a former assistant deputy Attorney General of the United States, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek.
Two longtime war critics in the House of Representatives sponsored a bill last week that says any president should face impeachment for waging war without a formal declaration from Congress. Tulsi Gabbard, a Hawaii Democrat, and Walter Jones, a North Carolina Republican, say that unauthorized military action should be considered a “high crime and misdemeanor.”
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Today they discuss elder care, the 2.5 billion pounds of meat that are now sitting in a warehouse instead of being eaten because it’s more profitable, and how Portugal’s non-austerity approach has led to a healthy economy compared to the austerity in the rest of Europe. Daniel Sankey, a financial policy analyst, joins the show.
Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, yesterday asked President Trump to revoke the security clearances of six former Obama Administration intelligence officials who have been harshly critical of the president. Trump is considering the request. But why do former officials with no governmental responsibility, who are now employed by media outlets, have security clearances in the first place? In the first half of this interview, Brian and John speak with Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and Ray McGovern, a former CIA analyst turned political activist and journalist.
Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, yesterday asked President Trump to revoke the security clearances of six former Obama Administration intelligence officials who have been harshly critical of the president. Trump is considering the request. But why do former officials with no governmental responsibility, who are now employed by media outlets, have security clearances in the first place? In the second half of this interview, Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and Ray McGovern, a former CIA analyst turned political activist and journalist, join the show.
As the Senate continues its deliberation on passing the enormous $717 billion defense spending bill for 2019, new details continue to emerge. The bill is likely to include a number of provocative policies aimed at turning up pressure on Russia, including allocating $250 million for lethal military aid to Ukraine. Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, joins Brian and John.
The Israeli military said today that it had shot down a Syrian fighter jet after it entered Israeli airspace—an allegation the Syrian government denies. The announcement sparked fears of a widening conflict. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former British Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
The Trump Administration said today that 463 immigrant parents may already have been deported without their children, adding yet another stumbling block to the reunification of families in advance of a court-ordered deadline to do so on Thursday. Brian and John speak with Jorge Barón, the executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek.

Carter Page FISA: Questioning Foreign Policy Mainstream Makes You a Spy Jul 23, 2018

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, Lucy Komisar, a long-time author, editor, and investigative journalist, and our co-host Brian Becker.
The secret court application for Trump campaign volunteer Carter Page was released this weekend. These FISA court applications are usually not public and are well known to be rubber stamped. The hosts discuss this, the possible questioning of Bill Browder, and more.
It’s Monday so it’s Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa—a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Today Chris and the hosts discuss facial recognition software being designed for NYC bridges and tunnels, Walmart’s patent filing for audio surveillance technology in monitoring employees, and today’s tech tip today is about what safe browsing mode actually covers. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
The Intercept reported over the weekend that the Ecuadorian government will imminently withdraw asylum for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Journalist Glenn Greenwald cites the presence in London of Ecuador’s President Lenin Moreno, ostensibly to speak at a conference on disabilities, saying the actual purpose of the trip is to finalize an agreement with the British government to expel Assange. While the government asserts that they won’t remove Assange during Moreno’s international trip, activists are in an intense state of mobilization. Walter and John speak with activist and journalist Diani Baretto.
President Trump last night issued a furious, all capital letters tweet aimed at the Iranian government, warning that any threats against the United States would be met with dire consequences. The tirade signaled an immediate escalation in tensions between the two countries. Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist, joins the show.
A new report on modern slavery around the world has found that the number of slaves in developed countries, including the United States, is much higher than previously thought. In its new report, the Walk Free Foundation says that there are 403,000 slaves in the US. That’s one in every 800 people and seven times higher than previously thought. Leah Obias, with Damayan Migrant Workers Association, a grassroots organization of low-wage Filipino workers, and Edith Mendoza, a survivor of trafficking and modern-day slavery who is an organizer for Damayan, join Walter and John.
Loud & Clear’s regular Monday segment “Education for Liberation” is about 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? Dr. Wayne Au, a professor in the School of Educational Studies at the University of Washington Bothell and a longtime author and editor of the social justice teaching magazine “Rethinking Education,” joins the show.
ISIS gunmen today stormed a government building in Irbil, the normally peaceful and heavily Kurdish city in northern Iraq, killing one civilian. Kurdish officials said that at least three gunmen were killed by security forces and that the siege is now over. What does this attack say about the stability of the country? Walter and John speak with Kani Xulam, founder of the American-Kurdish Information Network.

Chaos in DC: Full Offensive to Stop Improvement of US-Russia Relations Jul 20, 2018

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, and Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
Once again, chaos is engulfing Washington over a series of u-turns made by the Trump administration in the wake of the Trump-Putin Helsinki summit. Meanwhile, developments in the Mueller probe are making it clearer than ever that the investigation is deeply connected to the big picture of U.S.-Russia relations.
On today’s regular Friday segment covering the upcoming midterm elections, the hosts talk about Ocasio-Cortez, DeLeon over Feinstein, and the House Democrats’ ridiculous new slogan. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, and the co-host of the Facebook livestream “Coffee, Current Events & Politics” Thursdays at 9 p.m., joins the show.
Israeli occupation authorities are facing more protests today in Gaza as at least two Palestinians were killed and three were injured in an Israeli air raid and at the Gaza border during protests. Israel has pledged an even tougher response to Palestinian sending flammable kites and balloons carrying firebombs across the border. Richard Becker, an anti-war organizer and author of the book “Palestine, Israel and the U.S. Empire,” joins the show.
A secret letter was just revealed yesterday from Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak to then-CIA Director Gina Haspel, asking for support in a competitive election last May. He painted current Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad as a threat to US interests. Najib has since been indicted on several corruption charges, including abuse of power. Brian and John speak with Nile Bowie, a writer and journalist with the Asia Times, covering Singapore and Malaysia.
A South Korean court today sentenced former president Park Geun Hye to an additional eight years in prison for abusing state funds and violating election laws. Park is already serving 24 years in prison for a massive corruption scandal. Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network, joins Brian and John.
Kathy Kraninger, President Trump’s nominee to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, went in front of the Senate Banking Committee yesterday, where she fully dodged many senators’ questions of her. What we did find out is that she has almost no financial experience, having worked most of her career in the Department of Homeland Security. So why is she the nominee for the CFPB? Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, whose most recent piece is “Fighting Fake Stories: The New Yorker, Israel and Obama,” joins the show.
The hosts continue the regular segment of the worst and most misleading headlines. Walter and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, where you can find more ridiculous headlines from the week, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell.

Nicaragua Burning Jul 19, 2018

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined from Managua, Nicaragua, by Max Blumenthal, the senior editor of Grayzone Project, bestselling author whose latest book is “The 51 Day War: Ruin and Resistance in Gaza,” and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels,” and Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of “The Plot to attack Iran.”
Nicaragua is in deep crisis since protests began three months ago as opponents of the government set up barricades and clash with authorities. 280 people have been killed and more than 1,800 injured. The demonstrations began following changes in the country’s social security system and have now become a full-fledged effort to overthrow the Sandinista government.
On the regular Thursday series “Criminal Injustice,” the hosts discuss the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Today they talk about the high costs of prison phones and the updates from the coalition working to lower them, a Native nation running an ICE detention facility, and a top North Carolina prison officer hiding shanks in his ceiling. Brian and John speak with Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News.
US-Russian relations are on the rocks, not because of President Trump’s foreign policy. It’s because members of both parties on Capitol Hill are demanding that Trump walk back his public statements supporting an easing of tensions with Moscow and say publicly that the Russians interfered in the 2016 presidential election. Brian and John speak with Dr. Jeremy Kuzmarov, an author and historian.
The British Press Association reported today that Metropolitan Police detectives have identified the alleged perpetrators of a poison attack against a Russian defector and his daughter. Media reports say that Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned by “several Russians.” UK Security Minister Ben Wallace called the reports “ill-informed and wild speculation.” Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books, “The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” and Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, join the show.
Israel’s parliament yesterday passed a highly controversial law that defines Israel as the national home of the Jewish people, says that only Jews have the right to self-determination, downgrades Arabic from an official language to a “protected” one, and promotes the establishment of new Jewish settlements in the occupied territories. Israel is virtually alone in the world in not guaranteeing equality for all of its citizens. Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book “The Battle for Justice in Palestine,” joins Brian and John.
A Spanish Supreme Court judge on Thursday dropped an extradition request for six politicians on charges of rebellion for their roles in promoting independence for Catalonia, including former president Carles Puigdemont. The decision was a major setback for Spain’s central government, which has sought to crack down on the region’s secessionist movement. Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly, joins the show.
Consumers should expect to pay higher prices for imported cars if President Trump’s auto tariffs are enacted. Car sellers say they will pass on all new costs to consumers. The prices of top-selling cars could rise between $1,400 and $7,000. Brian and John speak with Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California whose most recent article in the World Review of Political Economy is titled “Trump’s Déjà vu China Trade War.”

Helsinki Summit Results in Growing Cold War Jul 18, 2018

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by 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.”
President Trump today continued to defend his meeting in Helsinki with Russian President Vladimir Putin after criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. Trump also continued to walk back his comments that he believed the Russian position that there was no interference in the 2016 presidential election, saying today that he instead sided with the Intelligence Community’s position that there had indeed been interference.
Beyond Nuclear with Kevin Kamps is Loud & Clear’s regular Wednesday segment. The hosts and Kevin look at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today they focus on the specific oppression of Native nations by the nuclear industry and the Russia-US summit through the nuclear lens. Brian and John speak with Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell.
The European Commission yesterday hit technology firm Google with a record $5 billion fine, saying the company had used its mobile operating system to illegally cement its dominant position in searches. Google said it would appeal, even though it’s currently sitting on $103 billion in cash. Brian and John speak with Dr. Robert Epstein, the senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology.
Maria Butina, the Russian graduate student who was arrested and charged with failing to register as a foreign agent, was arraigned today in federal court in Washington, where she pleaded not guilty. The US government says that Butina was in touch with Russian intelligence officials, an accusation she has denied through her attorney. Alex Rubenstein, a Sputnik news analyst and journalist who attended today’s arraignment and whose work is on twitter at @RealAlexRubi, joins the show.
The president of the European Investment Bank said today that the organization would put its global operations at risk by investing in Iran, calling into question European efforts to salvage the Iran nuclear deal that Washington has walked away from. Meanwhile, the Iranian government announced that it has built a new factory that can produce as rotors for as many as 60 new centrifuges per day. Shabbir Razvi, an economist and political analyst and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek, join Brian and John.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said today that any Brexit plan must be “workable” as she was criticized from both the right and the left for the bitter divisions within her own Conservative Party that seem to be preventing forward movement in leaving the European Union. May is particularly stuck on the issues of trade and open borders. Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins the show.
Israel appears to be preparing more and more for direct hostilities with Syria, as control of Syrian territory in the country’s southwest, near the Golan Heights and the border with Israel, shifts from rebels to the government. Brian and John speak with Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement.

Post-Helsinki Summit Earthquake Shakes Trump Administration Jul 17, 2018

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News and author of "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," and Peter Kuznik, a professor of history and director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University.
President Trump returned from his Helsinki meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last night only to face a firestorm of criticism. Trump said publicly after his meeting with Putin that he did not believe Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, though he has now changed course.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Daniel Sankey, a financial policy analyst, join the show.
House Speaker Paul Ryan late last night quashed a rank-and-file effort to force a vote sponsored by a progressive Democrat that would abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Ryan concluded that, while the bill had no chance of passing, Republicans could be embarrassed if Democrats opposed it in large numbers. The bill was very unpopular with voters. Brian and John speak with Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
Maria Butina, a Russian woman who tried to arrange a meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin during the 2016 presidential campaign, was arrested by the FBI on Sunday and charged yesterday with three counts of failing to register as an agent of a foreign government. The Justice Department says that Butina is a Russian intelligence officer--or was acting for one—who was tasked with infiltrating important US institutions. She was apparently successful in ingratiating herself with the National Rifle Association. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Israel further tightened its blockade on Gaza yesterday preventing gas and fuel deliveries through its only commercial crossing. When Israel announced the closing on July 9, it promised to allow food, water, medicine, and fuel. That changed yesterday. Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son—A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and Ariel Gold, a peace activist and the national co-director of Code Pink, joins Brian and John.
The Iranian Government said today that it is preparing to increase the level of uranium enrichment if negotiations with Europe on sanctions fall through. Meanwhile, Iran has filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice to “hold the US accountable for its unlawful reimposition of unilateral sanctions,” according to Iran’s Foreign Minister. Francis Boyle, a professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law and author of the book “Destroying World Order: US Imperialism in the Middle East Before and After September 11,” joins the show.
Elon Musk jumped into a scandal of his own making last week when he called a British cave diver who was instrumental in the rescue of a dozen Thai boy scouts from a flooded cave a “pedophile.” When called to task over the comment, he doubled down and repeated it.
Now shares of his company, the automaker Tesla, have fallen 16 percent. And attorneys believe the aggrieved cave diver has a strong defamation case against the billionaire. Brian and John speak with Sam Pizzigati, a veteran journalist and an associate fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, where he specializes in economic inequality issues, and is the author of the new book “The Case for a Maximum Wage.”

Political & Media Elite Explode as Trump, Putin Try to Repair Relations Jul 16, 2018

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights lawyer who is the author of “The Plot to Scapegoat Russia,” Max Blumenthal, journalist and bestselling author, and Lee Stranahan, who’s on the ground in Helsinki covering the summit for Sputnik.
President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met today in Helsinki, Finland. The nearly two-hour meeting reportedly covered Syria, trade and military issues, disarmament, and China. Trump said afterward that he wanted only good relations with Russia and that previous bilateral problems were the result of “Washington’s own foolishness and stupidity.”
On Monday’s regular weekly half-hour segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa—a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights, and civil liberties, they talk about how GPS can track you even if it’s off, Twitter’s metadata haul, and how to secure your devices. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
President Trump wraps up his European trip today, with the last stop in Helsinki. He called the EU a foe, told British Prime Minister May to sue the EU, he said Boris Johnson would make a great prime minister of the UK, and he weighed in on the Nordstream pipeline that will pipe Russian gas to Germany much more cheaply than any US alternative. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net whose most recent piece is “Fighting Fake Stories: The New Yorker Serves Up a Doozie.”
Police in Chicago shot and killed Harith Augustus on Saturday. Protests across the city became heated by Saturday night. And today the police released two bodycam videos of the incident to try to calm the public. Kofi Ademola, an activist and organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement, joins the show.
Series “Stories from the National Museum of African American History and Culture” continues, where Dr. Alice Bonner highlights some of the most important episodes in Black history. Dr. Bonner, a volunteer docent at the newly opened National Museum of African American History and Culture, retired professor at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, and a longtime journalist at the Washington Post, joins the show.
The White House yesterday ordered the State Department to seek direct negotiations with the Taliban in the hope of jumpstarting efforts to end the 17-year war there. The Taliban have said that they will only deal with the United States, but President Trump insists that the Afghan government take part. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment “Education for Liberation” looks 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? Today they talk about what patriotism means in the US and civic education in schools. Brian and John speak with Joel Westheimer, a professor and University Research Chair in Democracy and Education at the University of Ottawa, whose latest book is “What Kind of Citizen? Educating Our Children for the Common Good.”

Showing Their True Colors! Dem. Bigwigs Attack Liberal Wing of Party Jul 13, 2018

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell (sitting in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of LuqmanNation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook.
On today’s regular Friday segment covering the upcoming midterm elections, the hosts talk about election turnout, Joe Crowley remaining on the ballot in New York, and races in Missouri and Texas. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, and the co-host of the Facebook livestream “Coffee, Current Events & Politics” Thursdays at 9 p.m., joins the show.
On a new periodic series called Stories from the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Dr. Alice Bonner highlights some of the most important episodes in Black history. Today focuses on convict labor, one of the many extensions of slavery. Dr. Bonner, a volunteer docent at the newly opened National Museum of African American History and Culture, retired professor at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, and a longtime journalist at the Washington Post, joins the show.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced 12 new indictments targeting alleged Russian intelligence operatives for interference in the 2016 election. This move comes ahead of the highly anticipated summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. Walter and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net.
President Donald Trump continues his working visit to the UK today as tens of thousands of people protested in front of the US Embassy. This morning he met with British Prime Minister Theresa May to discuss a possible post-Brexit trade deal and proceeded to give an interview denouncing her government’s new economic strategy for exiting the European Union. John Wight, the host of the weekly Sputnik Radio show Hard Facts, joins the show.
A high-level delegation, including the Secretaries of the Treasury, Homeland Security and State along with senior Trump advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner, has arrived in Mexico to meet with incoming President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Elected in a landslide, Obrador has wasted no time in rolling out major policy proposals, including a possible grand bargain with the United States. Dr. John Ackerman, professor of Constitutional Law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), researcher at the Legal Research Institute of UNAM, and editorial director of the Mexican Law Review, joins Walter and John.
The Trump Administration was only able to reunite fewer than half of the eligible migrant families in its care by a court-ordered deadline on Tuesday as the fates of thousands more remain in limbo. Last night, lawyers for the administration and immigrant advocates clashed over further measures to ensure the timely reunification of immigrant children with their parents. Immigrant rights activist Angie Kim joins the show.
The hosts continue the regular segment of the worst and most misleading headlines. Walter and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, where you can find more ridiculous headlines from the week, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell.

America’s War on Working Poor: “Millions to Lose Medicaid Healthcare” Jul 12, 2018

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.
In June, Arkansas became the first state to require that able-bodied Medicare recipients do some combination of work, volunteering, job training, or education to keep their benefits. A nearly identical law in Kentucky, however, was just struck down by a federal judge. Now states are considering simply throwing people off the Medicaid roles and denying them health care.
On the regular Thursday series “Criminal Injustice,” the hosts discuss the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Brian and John speak with Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News, and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure.
President Trump arrived in the UK this morning for trade talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May. He dismissed large-scale protests against his visit and said, “The Brits like me a lot. They agree with me on immigration.” The visit comes two days after Trump said that the UK was “in turmoil.” Brian and John speak with legendary anti-war activist and former British parliamentarian George Galloway.
A defiant Peter Strzok told the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees that continued scrutiny of his anti-Trump text messages amounted to “another victory notch in Vladimir Putin’s belt.” The FBI agent said that during the 2016 campaign he had information that would have derailed Donald Trump’s candidacy, but that he never considered releasing it. Alex Rubenstein, a Sputnik news analyst and journalist, whose work is on Twitter at @RealAlexRubi, joins the show.
The annual summit of NATO heads of state ended yesterday with President Trump saying that member countries had agreed to increase their defense spending, perhaps even doubling it. But French President Emmanuel Macron was quick to say the President’s statement was untrue. Meanwhile, Trump reiterated as he was boarding Air Force One that he is a “very stable genius.” Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins Brian and John.
Israel struck three Syrian government targets overnight after an unarmed Syrian drone strayed over Israeli territory. The Syrian media reported that there was material damage, but no casualties. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former British Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
Monsanto is in court this week—because a California landscaper has terminal cancer after using Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer for decades. And Monsanto has been accused of covering up evidence that Roundup is carcinogenic. Brian and John speak with Alexis Baden-Mayer, the political director for Organic Consumers Alliance.

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