Loud & Clear

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Police Drive Car Into Sacramento Protesters: Actions Spread Nationwide Apr 02, 2018

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jamier Sale, an activist with the ANSWER Coalition who has been organizing protests demanding justice for Stephon Clark; Gloria La Riva, the Peace and Freedom Party’s 2018 California gubernatorial candidate; and Aislinn Borsini, an organizer with Black Lives Matter Chicago.
An independent inquest has found that Stephon Clark, the African-American man killed by police in Sacramento last week, was shot eight times. Six of those shots were from behind. Protests in Sacramento have grown steadily since Clark was killed, and sympathetic protests have taken place all over the country.
Israeli soldiers killed 17 Palestinians and wounded at least 1400 more on Friday during Land Day demonstrations in Gaza. Twenty Palestinians remain in critical condition. No Israelis were killed or wounded. Why would these protesters put their lives on the line? And why would the Israelis kill them? Longtime peace activist and Code Pink member Tighe Barry and Daoud Kuttab, an award-winning Palestinian journalist whose latest book is “Sesame Street Palestine: The Ups and Downs of Producing a Children’s Program,” join the show.
Monday’s regular segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” 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 focuses on the teacher strikes across the nation with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
President Trump killed any hope for a DACA deal just minutes before entering church on Easter Sunday, when he tweeted about an imaginary caravan of illegal immigrants making its way to the United States, that the U.S. does not have any border laws because liberals in Congress prevented them from being passed, and that he would kill NAFTA if Mexico doesn’t do more to close the border. All of Trump’s claims in these tweets are demonstrably false. Carolyn Gomez, a labor organizer and community activist, joins the show.
China announced an additional $3 billion in tariffs on US goods, including pork, fruits, and seamless steel pipes, in the wake of President Trump’s initiation of a trade war with that country. The new Chinese tariffs will hit farmers in many states that Trump won in the 2016 election. Jude Woodward, London mayor Ken Livingstone's advisor on culture and creative industries and the author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?” and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek join Brian and John.
Winnie Mandela, the former wife of South African President and anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela, has died at 81. Winnie Mandela fought apartheid with her husband for decades, but the two grew apart during his incarceration and divorced soon after his release from prison. The hosts discuss her important legacy. Mwiza Munthali, the host of the WPFW radio show “Africa Now!”and formerly with the advocacy group TransAfrica Forum, joins the show.
President Trump said today that he would freeze $200 million earmarked for Syrian recovery and development, just days after saying he wanted to pull out of Syria as soon as possible. The freeze and the president’s comments contradict both State Department and Defense Department policies. Brian and John speak with Massoud Shadjareh, founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.

Massacre: Palestinian Protesters Gunned Down by Israeli Soldiers Mar 30, 2018

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou and Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell (sitting in for Brian Becker) are joined by Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book The Battle for Justice in Palestine and journalist and filmmaker Dan Cohen.
In demonstrations today, the Israeli army and police massacred at least ten Palestinian protesters, injured more than one thousand people, and many more were arrested. In response to the Israeli government’s announcement that it would expropriate thousands of acres of Palestinian land to build a settlement, a general strike and protests were organized in Arab towns all over the country in 1976, and ever since today has been commemorated as Land Day.

No Laughing Matter: Russiagate Hysteria Deepens Grave Diplomatic Crisis Mar 29, 2018

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek (sitting in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Alexander Mercouris, the editor in chief of The Duran, and Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of “The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Russia has closed a US consulate and expelled 60 US diplomats, along with 90 diplomats from other countries, matching the US and EU actions earlier this month over the Sergei Skripal case. Meanwhile, British authorities say they’ve pinpointed the location where Russian double agent Skripal and his daughter were poisoned. The front door of the family’s home shows the highest concentration of a nerve agent in the class of Novichok. We’ll also look at developments in the Russiagate investigation.
Today, the weekly series “Criminal Injustice” continues, where 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’s segment focuses on the school-to-prison pipeline and police killings. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News, join the show.
A historic meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is set for April 27 on the southern side of the Demilitarized Zone. This is the first time since 2007 that leaders of the two countries have met. No agenda has yet been agreed upon. Brian and John speak with Tim Shorrock, a Washington-based investigative journalist who grew up in Japan and South Korea and who is the author of “SPIES FOR HIRE: The Secret World of Outsourced Intelligence.”
President Trump fired Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin and replaced him with Admiral Ronny Jackson, the president’s personal physician. Jackson has no management experience whatsoever, but will be charged with cleaning up a department in crisis. Shulkin was the only cabinet holdover from the Obama Administration. Ryan Endicott, an anti-war Iraq veteran and a graduate clinical intern mental health counselor for veterans.
A judge in Massachusetts has found a group of 13 pipeline protesters not guilty of crimes related to a protest in which they climbed into holes that had been dug for a high-pressure gas pipeline. The 13 were the first of 198 people set to go on trial, including the daughter of former Vice President Al Gore. The judge said protest against climate change was a legal necessity. Kevin Zeese, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance whose work is at popularresistance.org, joins Walter and John.
The group Health Over Profit for Everyone, in partnership with the Backbone Campaign, is offering the first Single Payer Action Camp to build participants’ skills in strategy, messaging, and direct action to win improved Medicare for all. The camp will take place from April 7-10 in Washington. Mike Pappas, an organizer with the Single Payer Action Camp and a Georgetown University medical student, joins the show.
A review of public documents by Politico reveals that the Trump Administration made a conscious decision to focus almost exclusively on Houston after it was hit by Hurricane Harvey last year, and to ignore Puerto Rico, which was harder hit three weeks later by Hurricane Maria. Politico said that disaster recovery experts have expressed shock at the double standard. Brian and John speak with Ruth Beltran, an organizer with Black Lives Matter Tampa.

Opposition Grows to CIA Nominee Haspel Ahead of Confirmation Battle Mar 28, 2018

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek (filling in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Jeremy Varon, a professor at the New School in New York and an anti-Guantanamo prison activist.
President Trump’s nominees for Secretary of State and CIA Director will soon face the Senate Foreign Relations and Senate Intelligence Committees, respectively. Michael Pompeo, a conservative former congressman and the current CIA Director, is likely to be confirmed, despite a filibuster by Kentucky’s Republican Senator Rand Paul. But there’s a fight over Gina Haspel, the current deputy director of the CIA. She oversaw the Agency’s torture program during the Bush Administration. And those chickens may be coming home to roost.
Wednesday is the regular segment looking at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today also is the 39th anniversary of the Three Mile Island Unit 2 meltdown. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
Kim Jong Un was in Beijing over the past two days, his first foreign trip since becoming North Korea’s leader in 2011. He was in China to consult with President Xi Jinping and other senior officials there in advance of his meeting with President Trump. Brian and John speak with Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network.
The Ecuadorian government today cut off Julian Assange’s internet access and announced in a press release from the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that Julian will be denied the right to have visitors. Former Greek Finance Minister Yannis Varoufakis, a friend and supporter of Julian’s, says that Ecuador has taken steps to silence Julian under pressure from the US and Spanish governments. Diani Baretto, an activist and the director of the Berlin Bureau of ExposeFacts.org, joins the show.
In 2016, police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana responded to a call of a man with a gun at a convenience store. When they arrived, they found Alton Sterling. He had a gun, but he was compliant. He was wrestled to the ground, pinned, and then shot and killed. The police said he was reaching for the gun, but a video of the incident showed no such thing. Yesterday, federal authorities said they would not charge the police officers who killed him. State law enforcement authorities said the same thing months ago. Checo Yancy, the director for the advocacy arm of Voters Organized to Educate who served nearly 20 years in the notorious Angola State Penitentiary before having his sentence commuted by the governor, joins Walter and John.
The United States and South Korea have agreed in principle to revise a trade deal that has been in place since 2012. Trump Administration officials are calling it “visionary” and “innovative.” But Democrats are saying that it’s no different than the original deal. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California, author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” and at jackrasmus.com, joins the show.
An appeals court in Brazil has rejected the final procedural objections by former Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva against his corruption conviction. The decision raises the likelihood that Lula will be incarcerated. Meanwhile, unknown gunmen shot at two buses carrying Lula supporters and journalists in southern Brazil. Walter and John speak with Arnold August, a lecturer, journalist, and author of the book “Cuba-US Relations: Obama and Beyond.”

Heroic Brown v. Board Plaintiff Dies, Anti-Segregation Struggle Goes On Mar 27, 2018

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek (filling in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America.”
Linda Brown died yesterday Brown was a young schoolgirl when she was at the center of a landmark Supreme Court case that ended racial segregation in American schools, Brown versus Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. The hosts talk about her legacy, the impact of Brown v. The Board of Education at the time, and the way that school segregation has morphed, but in effect stayed the same, since then.
Tuesday’s weekly series continues, looking at the top economic issues of the day, focusing on the power of Amazon and the decline of department stores and shopping malls. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
Syria and rebel groups have made evacuation deals in two of three rebel pockets outside of Damascus, in Harasta and Douma. The third pocket, controlled by the Jaish al-Islam, or Army of Islam, Saudi Arabia’s main ally, is not yet being evacuated because the Army of Islam has refused to surrender. That group is still in negotiations with Russia, Syria’s main ally, and another round of talks starts tomorrow. Civilians eagerly await the arrival of humanitarian aid from the Syrian government once rebel forces are gone. Walter and John speak with Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
A bipartisan group of congresspeople has called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to investigate whether Aljazeera, the news outlet owned by the Qatari government, should register as an agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA. Peter van Buren, a former State Department Foreign Service Officer who became a renowned whistleblower, a journalist, and the author of four books, the most recent of which is “Hooper’s War: A Novel of World War II Japan,” joins the show.
Over the last day, the US and the European Union have announced that they would expel more than 100 Russian diplomats, many thought to be intelligence officers, from their countries as a result of the Skripal poisoning case. The actions return the state of relations between Russia on one side, and the US and EU on the other, to the days of the Cold War. Reiner Braun, co-president of the International Peace Bureau, joins Walter and John.
A Border Patrol agent who shot and killed a teenager who threw a stone at him from the Mexican side of the border, has gone on trial in federal court in Tucson. The agent, who shot the boy ten times, maintains that he was in danger for his safety. Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos, joins the show.
The state of California is suing the Trump Administration, arguing that its decision to ask about citizenship status in the next census is an unconstitutional attempt to undercount immigrants. Brian and John speak with Jorge Barón, the executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.

Under Trump's Leadership, U.S. Ratchets up Confrontation with Russia Mar 26, 2018

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, and Mark Sleboda, an international affairs analyst living in Moscow.
President Trump today expelled 60 Russian diplomats from the United States and closed the Russian consulate in Seattle in reaction to the poisoning of a spy in the UK, which accuses Russia of the act. 16 EU members in addition to Britain have also followed suit and expelled Russian diplomats. The move is a major step up in the worsening of relations between the US and Russia.
President Trump’s announcement last week that he will impose nearly $60 billion in tariffs on Chinese imports sent the Dow Jones Industrial Averages down more than 1,000 points. But over the weekend, the Chinese response was muted and Washington’s talking heads said on the Sunday morning news shows that cooler heads will prevail. Patrick Lawrence, the author of “Time No Longer: Americans After the American Century” and a columnist at Salon and The Nation whose work is at www.patreon.com/thefloutist, and John Ross, the first non-Chinese citizen to be appointed to a full-time post at a leading think tank in China--Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China and an award-winning resident columnist, join the show.
A deputy sheriff in Houston shot and killed an unarmed Black man last week, just days after another unarmed Black man, Stephon Clark, was shot and killed in his backyard in Sacramento. Danny Ray Thomas was shot once in the chest. The deputy said he “had something in his hand.” No object, a gun or otherwise, was found. Brian and John speak with Michelle Gross, the president of Communities United Against Police Brutality.
Turkish President Erdogan said that his country was prepared to invade Sinjar in northern Iraq to fight PKK rebels there. The Iraqi government said it would not sit idly by while its territory was invaded. Kani Xulam, the founder of the American-Kurdish Information Network, joins the show.
Today is another installation of the Monday segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers,” 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.
Egypt’s president, Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi, will win reelection this week in an election largely viewed as a sham. Sisi’s only opponent actually endorsed him. But Sisi is worried about turnout because his security crackdown, which has left tens of thousands imprisoned, has created an undercurrent of anger across Egypt. Many observers believe it’s the same kind of anger that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak. Dr. May Darwich, an assistant professor in International Relations of the Middle East in the School of Government and International Affairs at Durham University, joins the show.
Catalonian independence leader Carlos Puigdemont was arrested yesterday by German authorities as he was in transit from Denmark to Belgium. He is appearing before a German judge today. Puigdemont faces 30 years in prison in Spain on charges of sedition. Thousands of people demonstrated in Barcelona today calling for the Germans to release him. Brian and John speak with Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly.

Far-Right Extremist John Bolton Rounds Out New Trump War Cabinet Mar 23, 2018

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Max Blumenthal, a journalist and bestselling author whose latest book is “The 51 Day War: Ruin and Resistance in Gaza.” He is also the senior editor of Grayzone Project and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels.”
John Bolton, one of the Republican Party’s most hardcore foreign policy hawks, was named as President Trump’s third National Security Advisor yesterday, after the president fired LTG H.R. McMaster. Bolton was a recess appointment as Ambassador to the United Nations during the George W. Bush administration because even the Republican-controlled Senate refused to confirm him.
Donald Trump signed a $1.3 trillion federal budget, by far the largest in the country’s history. It does nothing to protect the Dreamers from deportation, but it does increase defense spending wildly. The bill does however also increase domestic non-military spending, and many Democrats in Congress voted for it. Angie Kim, the Community Engagement & Advocacy Coordinator for NAKASEC (the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium), Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and at jackrasmus.com, and Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of “The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” join the show.
China yesterday announced $3 billion in retaliatory tariffs against US products in response to President Trump’s announcement that he would put $60 billion in new tariffs on Chinese goods. 128 different products will be affected, particularly in the farming, aluminum, and steel industries. Brian and John speak with writer and political analyst Ajit Singh.
Students across the country are converging on Washington DC tomorrow to participate in what will be a massive rally against gun violence. Chicago student activists and organizers Damayanti Wallace, Madison Miller, Ardamis Sims, and Taylore Norwood who are on their way to the March for Our Lives Rally in Washington, D.C., join the show.
Does corporate tax deductibility affect the salaries of corporate chief executive officers? The Center for Economic and Policy Research conducted a study to determine that. They found that there is little evidence of a link between corporate performance and CEO pay. Indeed, skyrocketing CEO pay is largely a result of broken corporate governance. Dean Baker, the co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, joins Brian and John.
Mick Mulvaney, the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Board, has quietly dropped the agency’s investigation of a payday loan collector, and he is considering ending cases against three more high-interest lenders. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California, author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” and at jackrasmus.com, and Nicole Roussell, a producer of Loud & Clear, join the show.
Another Friday, another week of the 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 blog Left I on the News, which you can find at lefti.blogspot.com, and Nicole Roussell, a producer of Loud & Clear.

Out of Control! Theresa May Calls for Europe-wide Witch Hunt vs. Russia Mar 22, 2018

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, and Alexander Mercouris, the editor in chief of The Duran.
British Prime Minister Theresa May will ask all European Union member countries to expel Russian diplomats in the wake of the poisoning of a Russian double agent in the UK. So far, no other country has agreed to do that, absent any evidence that Russia was involved in the poisoning. Meanwhile, UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said in an interview with Deutsche Welle that the UK laboratory Porton Down has samples of Novichok, rather than the nerve agent being solely in the hands of Russia.
Today, the weekly series “Criminal Injustice” continues, where 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’s segment focuses on private prisons and prison profit. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and executive eirector of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News, join the show.
Congressional leaders finalized details of the federal budget last night, and a vote could be scheduled as early as today. The agreement does nothing to help Dreamers, those undocumented immigrants brought to this country as children. Meanwhile, President Trump announced that the US will impose new tariffs on China worth $60 billion, raising further fears of a trade war. Brian and John speak with Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and a columnist for CounterPunch, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
John Dowd, the head of President Trump’s legal team, resigned abruptly this morning, saying that the president was increasingly ignoring his advice. Specifically, Dowd recommended that Trump not agree to be interviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller. Is this the beginning of a major strategy shift towards the Mueller investigation? Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the soon to be released book “The Plot to Attack Iran,” joins the show.
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg says that he is “really sorry” that Cambridge Analytica, a data firm with ties to Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, accessed information from 50 million Facebook users without their knowledge, and may have kept the information even after Facebook insisted they delete it. Zuckerberg now faces a Congressional inquiry, as well as a lot of angry Facebook users. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins Brian and John.
Demonstrations and strikes paralyzed France today as labor unions organized dozens of marches across the country. Transportation, schools, and public services were all impacted. Strikers were answering the call of seven French unions to reject President Emmanuel Macron’s economic policies. Gilbert Mercier, Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” joins the show.
Tuesday’s primary election in Illinois saw a greatly rejuvenated Democratic Party. But it also highlighted potential challenges for the left. Meanwhile, former presidential candidate and senator Bernie Sanders hosted an inequality town hall. Brian and John speak with Jacqueline and Abdus Luqman, co-editor-in-chiefs of Luqman Nation.

US Senate Votes to Continue Funding Saudi Genocide in Yemen Mar 21, 2018

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Tighe Barry, longtime peace activist and Code Pink member, Professor Mohammad Marandi, at the University of Tehran, and Professor Jeremy Kuzmarov, at the University of Tulsa.
The Senate yesterday rejected an unusual bipartisan resolution that would have called on the president to halt American military support for the brutal Saudi-led war against Yemen. The 55-44 vote sends the measure back to the Foreign Relations Committee, where it is likely to die quietly.
Brian and John continue the regular segment looking at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today they focused on the history of nuclear meltdowns and the inherent dangerousness of nuclear power. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
Mark Anthony Conditt, the suspected Austin serial bomber, blew himself up today as authorities closed in. What do we know so far about Conditt? Brian and John speak with Brian Griffith, the host of People's Republic on KOOP radio in Austin, Texas.
The Israeli military confirmed for the first time today that it bombed what it says was a Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007. In a secret operation that has been extensively speculated on over the past decade, Israel said that it had sent four F-16 fighter jets to destroy the partially-completed facility near Deir az-Zour. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation should serve as a warning to Iran. Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins the show.
The US Supreme Court on Monday gave the green light for two class-action lawsuits to go ahead on behalf of residents of Flint, Michigan, who are pursuing civil rights claims against state and local officials over lead contamination in the city’s water supply. Julie Hurwitz, a partner at the law firm Goodman & Hurwitz, P.C. and one of the attorneys working on the class action lawsuit, joins Brian and John.
Marielle Franco was a poor, black, LGBTQ woman who grew up in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She went to college and was elected as a city councilwoman. She became a voice for those Brazilians who had no voice. She was a gifted orator and organizer. And last week, she was assassinated in the street. Her assailants have not been identified. Aline Piva, with the group Brazilian Expats for Democracy and Social Justice, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
Climate change is making vast swaths of the planet uninhabitable due to extreme heat, while causing deadly winter storms called “nor’easters” that pound the east coast of the United States. Meanwhile, higher average temperatures mean that crop-killing pests are moving farther and farther north, threatening crops. Is it too late to turn things around? Brian and John speak with 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.”

Saudi Crown Prince Starts US Shopping Spree for War and Dictatorship Mar 20, 2018

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of Code Pink and author of the book “Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the U. S.-Saudi Connection” and Catherine Shakdam, a political commentator and the author of “A Tale Of Grand Resistance: Yemen, The Wahhabi And The House Of Saud.”
Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman arrived in Washington yesterday just in time for a vote in the US Senate that would demand an end to US support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. Senate Resolution 54 would call on the President to cut off intelligence, materiel, and mid-air refueling for Saudi jets, just as the Crown Prince begins a two-week trip across the country. America’s corporate, political and military elites are rolling out the red carpet for the young leader of the saudi monarchy.
Tuesday’s weekly series continues, looking at the top economic issues of the day, including the Senate’s passage of legislation rolling back bank regulations. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
Facebook is the target of criticism for allowing the British data firm Cambridge Analytica to acquire 50 million user profiles in the US to help the Trump campaign. But how is this any different from the 2008 and 2012 Obama campaigns using the same data to target voters? Brian and John speak with Dr. Robert Epstein, the Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology.
Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant signed into law yesterday a bill that would outlaw all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. It is the earliest abortion ban in the country, and there are no exceptions in the law for rape or incest. Pro-choice advocates already have filed a lawsuit to block its implementation, and early this afternoon, a federal judge issued a temporary stay. Shannon Brewer, director of Jackson Women's Health Organization, Mississippi’s last women’s health clinic that still offers abortion health services, joins the show.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was arrested today in connection with a growing scandal in which he is accused of having taken campaign money from former Libyan leader Muammar al-Qadhafi. Sarkozy is alleged to have secretly accepted €50 million, more than double the legal limit of €21 million. Gilbert Mercier, Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” joins Brian and John.
In a speech in New Hampshire yesterday, President Trump said that he would seek legislation to allow the federal government to execute drug dealers. The speech was immediately condemned by treatment advocates and law enforcement officials alike, as the real problem causing the opioid epidemic is pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Margaret Flowers, a medical doctor and the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, at PopularResistance.org, joins the show.
A bomb exploded this morning in a FedEx facility near Austin, Texas, in what appears to be the work of a serial bomber. It’s the fifth device to detonate, while the four previous bombs killed two and wounded four. The FBI has ordered the deployment of 350 agents to Austin to aid in the investigation. Brian and John speak with Brian Griffiths, the host of People's Republic on KOOP radio in Austin, Texas.

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