Loud & Clear

Latest Episodes:

Trump Announces New Cold War Dec 19, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Cindy Sheehan, an anti-war activist and journalist whose son Casey was killed during the Iraq War; by Patrick Lawrence, the author of Time No Longer: Americans After the American Century and a columnist at The Nation; and by Greg Mello, the Executive Director of the Los Alamos Study Group.
President Trump outlined his foreign policy vision that includes an increasingly adversarial view of Russia and China, a tougher focus on what he calls “rogue states,” and increased counter terrorism operations.
The United Nations Security Council is considering a draft resolution that would render Donald Trump’s decision to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem “null and void”. Palestine's ambassador to the UK, Manuel Hassassian, joins the show.
The Organization of American States has called for a new election in Honduras, as that country’s incumbent president appears to have stolen the race from a popular opposition candidate.
Jeanette Charles, who has worked as the Honduras Program Liaison and Southwest Regional director of the solidarity organization Witness for Peace, joins Brian and John.
A conservative billionaire and former president has won Chile's presidential election runoff. The election is a clear move to the right for a country which is currently led by the center-left alliance. Karla Martin, who was an organizer in the student movement while she was attending the University of Chile, joins the show.
President Trump said yesterday that he was not considering firing Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Dan Kovalik, a labor lawyer and author of 'The Plot to Scapegoat Russia' joins the show.
The United Nations mandate for Libya’s Government of National Accord expired yesterday, casting doubt on the immediate future of the country’s coalition government. International human rights lawyer Christopher Black discusses the ongoing turbulence in Libya along with Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek.

Hauled Before Congress: Comedian Randy Credico Defies Russiagate Mania Dec 15, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Randy Credico, who is an activist, comedian and former director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller casts a wider and wider net in his investigation, he’s apparently looking at whether Donald Trump was somehow aided in the 2016 election by Wikileaks and Julian Assange. Congressional investigators allege that the contact was brokered by Republican political consultant Roger Stone. And they allege further than Stone was introduced to Assange by Randy Credico. Randy has been subpoenaed to testify today before the House Intelligence Committee, where he intends to plead the fifth.
It’s crunch time for the Republicans as both the House and Senate prepare to vote on the tax bill. But several Republican senators are saying that they will or may vote no. What does the final version of this bill mean for poor and middle class Americans? Dean Baker, the co-director of the Center for Economic Policy and Research, joins Brian and John.
A federal judge yesterday threw out felony riot charges against six people involved in anti-fascist demonstrations on inauguration day. The defendants still face a myriad of other charges, which has led to calls that the Justice Department is trying to criminalize dissent. Brian and John speak with freelance journalist Alex Rubinstein, who was arrested while covering the demonstration, and Chip Gibbons, policy and legislative counsel for Defending Rights & Dissent.
Prosecutors in Charlottesville, Virginia have upgraded to first degree murder a charge against a white supremacist who plowed his car into a group of peaceful protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and wounding dozens. Phil Wilayto of the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality joins the show.
European Union leaders clashed in Brussels last night over how to reform defunct asylum rules. Two years after more than a million refugees flooded Greece on their way to Germany, many Eastern European members of the EU don’t want to host any refugees at all.
Prosecutors in Minneapolis, Minnesota announced yesterday that they do not have sufficient evidence to prosecute a police officer for shooting and killing an unarmed woman who had called 911 to report hearing an assault in progress behind her home. We’ll talk about the nationwide trend of cops killing unarmed civilians and, in most cases getting away with it. Kofi Ademola of Black Lives Matter Chicago
joins the show.

Looting on a Grand Scale by Ultra Rich: Republican Tax Plan's Real Goal Dec 14, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by economist Richard Wolf to talk about the Republican Tax Plan which could be signed into law as early as next week. What’s in this bill, who are the big winners and big losers?
The Federal Communications Commission voted today to repeal Obama-era net neutrality regulations, paving the way for big corporations to control content and pricing on the internet. We’ll talk about what the vote means for information freedom with Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers, the co-founders of Popular Resistance.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said this morning that she will present what she calls “irrefutable evidence” that Iran has violated the Iran deal by sending missiles to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, an accusation that Iran denies. Brian and John are joined by Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of CODEPINK, and by Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence.
Congress has failed to enact an extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, forcing states to scramble to find a Plan B. Nine million poor children now face an immediate loss of health care coverage. Dustin Pugel, Research and Policy Associate with the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy (KCEP), talks with John and Brian.
A British tribunal has recognised Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks as a “media organization”, a point of contention with the United States, which is seeking to prosecute him and disputes his journalistic credentials. Documentary filmmaker John Pilger joins the show to discuss what this means for Assange.
The Bitcoin craze continued this week as two different firms began offering Bitcoin futures. Economist and professor Steve Keen joins the show to talk about the future of crypto-currency.
Defeated Alabama Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore has refused to concede the election and has demanded a recount. Investigative reporter Dave Lindorff joins the show.

Alabama Political Earthquake: What Does it Mean for Politics in the US? Dec 13, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Connor Sheets, a journalist with AL.com; by Garland Nixon, the co-host of Radio Sputnik’s Fault Lines; by Leada Gore, a journalist with AL.com; and by Mike Hersh of Progressive Democrats of America.
Alabama voters caused a stunning upset yesterday in that state’s senate race, handing victory to Democrat Doug Jones over Republican Roy Moore. What does this mean for President Donald Trump, who lost twice, having endorsed Moore in the general election, and the incumbent, Luther Strange in the Republican primary? And does it mean that the Democrats will again become a big tent party, welcoming conservatives into their ranks?
Almost immediately after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the US government would be willing to hold talks with the North Korean government without any pretexts, President Trump jumped in and said that no such thing would happen. Meanwhile, South Korean President Moon Jae In arrived in China on an official visit. Brian and John speak with author Jude Woodward and China expert Keith Bennett.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was grilled today by the House Judiciary Committee over texts exchanged between an FBI agent and his girlfriend, who happened to be a Justice Department official, that were less than complimentary toward President Trump. Rosenstein stood by his employees, and by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. But should the President--and the American people--be worried about FBI agents who can’t be neutral? Former FBI special agent Coleen Rowley joins the show.
President Trump unleashed a tweetstorm yesterday, attacking New York Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand after she called for him to resign, and on the same day that a documentary film was released on Trump’s history of sexually harassing women. Trump said on Twitter that Gillibrand had asked him for money in the past and that she would “do anything” for it. Abby Martin, host of The Empire Files on TeleSUR, speaks with Brian and John.
Next, author Vijay Prashad joins the show to talk about state elections in Gujarat, India, where the party of Prime Minister Modi is locked in competition with the Congress Party and its new leader, Rahul Gandhi.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation met in Istanbul today to condemn President Trump’s decision to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and to announce that the OIC would recognize East Jerusalem as the permanent capital of Palestine. Have American policies begun to cause a diminution of American power in the Middle East? Massoud Shadjareh, the director of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.

Warfare State: Largest U.S. Military Spending Bill Ever Becomes Law Dec 12, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Greg Mello, the Executive Director of the Los Alamos Study Group, by Jim Kavanagh, editor of ThePolemicist.net, and by Dr. Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor at the University of Tulsa to discuss President Trump's signing of the enormous National Defense Authorization Act.
Society is facing a watershed moment as more and more women offer revelations of sexual harassment and sexual assault committed against them. A new documentary film has just been released featuring 16 women, each of whom says they were the victims of abuse and harassment by Donald Trump. In this segment we talk about the role of the Democratic and Republican parties as they both try to take advantage of this moment and movement for narrow political agendas. Joining the show are Dr. Nazia Kazi, a professor of Anthropology at Stockton University, and Sue Udry, a peace and social justice activist and Executive Director of Defending Rights and Dissent.
It’s judgement day in Alabama as voters head to the polls to choose between the Democrat, former prosecutor Doug Jones, and the Republican, disgraced state Supreme Court justice Roy Moore. We’ll talk about the race’s final trends with Leada Gore and Connor Sheets, both journalists with AL.com.
In a major policy turnaround, the U.S. and Turkey announced that they are willing to accept the fact that Bashar al-Assad will remain as president of Syria. What does that mean for the balance of power in the region? Brian and John speak with Peter Ford, the former British ambassador to Syria.
Within hours of yesterday’s attempted terrorist bombing in New York City, President Trump blamed the incident on immigration, and claiming that his proposed policies would have prevented the attack. Joining the show is Angie Kim, immigrant rights activist.
Netflix took to Twitter this week to make a joke about 53 people who watched the same Christmas movie for 18 straight days. Funny, right? Not funny at all. It’s an admission that Netflix employees have personal access to everything we watch, just like the FBI through the Patriot Act. Joining the show is Chris Garaffa, web developer and technologist.
Six months after one of Britain’s worst post-war disasters, in which dozens died and hundreds lost their homes, the Times newspaper is attacking activists seeking justice for victims, and blaming Russia for trying to stir up “class war” in the country. Why won’t those responsible for the disaster take responsibility? Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins the show.

New False Russia-Trump Reports Dominate American Media Dec 11, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by editorial cartoonist Ted Rall and author Daniel Lazare.
CNN and later other media outlets including MSNBC breathlessly reported that they finally had the missing piece of evidence, the so-called Smoking Gun that would prove Russia-Trump collusion during the 2016 election. Pundits all over the media took to the airwaves. But there was a problem: this story too turned out to be entirely false.
Then, Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a surprise trip to Syria and announced that the country was beginning to withdraw its military forces from the country. With the U.S. determined to stay in Syria indefinitely, what comes next as the many sides in the war consider a negotiated end to the conflict? International affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda joins the show along with Rick Sterling of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
Elizabeth Shackleford, a senior U.S. diplomat, resigned over the weekend, saying that President Trump and Secretary of State Tillerson had shown “stinging disrespect” for the foreign service. Her letter was released to the press and has become the most public rebuke of the U.S. foreign policy leadership to date. Former U.S. diplomat Brady Kiesling talks to Brian and John about the resignation.
Iraq declared today that Daesh has officially been defeated. Independent journalists Catherine Shakdam and Mojtaba Masood join Brian and John to discuss what's next, in particular the role that the U.S. will play from this point forward.
Days after Trump announced that the United States would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, we will discuss whether the move could trigger a new level of resistance and struggle by the Palestinians. Satya Vatti, an organizer with the ANSWER Coalition, joins the show.
Two new polls released this morning show Alabama Democratic Senate nominee Doug Jones and Republican nominee Roy Moore exchanging leads before tomorrow’s special election. Will Jones pull off a win in the heavily Republican state, or will Moore extend his extremist influence to Washington? Attorney Julie Hurwitz discusses the importance of the election.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has asked his country’s Congress to extend martial law in the southern state of Mindanao for a year in order to allow for what he calls the “total eradication” of Muslim extremists and communists. A key tenet of the request is that all media would be banned from Mindanao. Adrian Bonifacio, national chairperson of Anakbayan-USA, joins the show.

Looming Govt Shutdown: Will Democrats Fight Trump’s Pro-Rich Plan? Dec 08, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey and political cartoodnist and columnist Ted Rall.
Congress passed a two-week Continuing Resolution Budget bill Thursday, that prevents a government shutdown a day ahead of the deadline. But lawmakers face a rocky road over the next few weeks as they try to clinch a broader budget deal by the end of the year.
Then, John and Brian talk to Bradley Birkenfeld, a former banker and whistleblower whose disclosures to the United States government led to a massive fraud investigation against the Swiss bank UBS and other banks that had enabled tax evasion by ultra-rich U.S. taxpayers. He is the author or Lucifer’s Banker: The Untold Story of How I Destroyed Swiss Bank Secrecy.
Violence flared in Israel and the Palestinian territories yesterday in response to the Trump Administration’s announcement that it would move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Despite the fact that virtually every Middle East expert has condemned the move as counter to the peace process, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer bragged yesterday that he had personally intervened with President Trump to urge him to make the move. Palestinian political analyst Jafar Ramini joins the show.
Britain and the European Union have reached an agreement that would allow them to move on to the next phase of talks that will lead to the UK’s exit from the EU. In a significant concession, British Prime Minister Theresa May promised that there would be no “hard border” in Ireland. The talks now move on to the issue of trade. Joining the show is Robert Griffiths, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain.
Nearly two weeks after Hondurans went to the polls to elect a new leader, there is still no declared winner, despite the fact that anti-corruption campaigner Salvador Nasralla appeared to have won convincingly. But as is often the case in Central America the right-wing pro-US incumbent, Juan Hernandez said, “Not so fast.” Will Hernandez steal the election? Can anybody stop him? Gail Walker, the executive director of Pastors for Peace, joins the show.
An Argentine judge has asked that country’s senate to allow the arrest of former Argentine president Christina Kirchner on a charge of treason for allegedly covering up the role of Iranians in a deadly 1994 bomb attack on a Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires. Argentine authorities also are reopening the investigation of a prosecutor on the case who may have been murdered. Arnold August, lecturer and author, joins Brian and John.
President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort is arguing that he did not violate a court gag order when he asserts that he helped edit and not author an opinion piece about his political work in Ukraine, his defense lawyer Kevin Downing argued in a court filing on Thursday. Joining the show is Walter Smolarek, a Sputnik News analyst.

What??!! Trump Brags He & Gen. Mattis Defeated ISIS in Syria and Iraq Dec 07, 2017

Show notes

President Donald Trump said yesterday that Defense Secretary James Mattis “knocked the hell” out of ISIS because the president and his policies made it possible. Is Trump already trying to rewrite history? War correspondent Ali Musawi and journalist Joe Lauria join the show.
Brian and John are then joined by Historian and Author Alfred McCoy to discuss his new book "In the Shadows of the American Century-- The Rise and Decline of US Global Power."
Protests across the Middle East and the world have erupted in outrage at Donald Trump’s announcement yesterday that the United States was recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Palestinian journalist Daoud Kuttab joins the show to discuss these developments.
Protesters are demonstrating against the Federal Communications Commission’s proposed repeal of net neutrality rules at hundreds of Verizon stores around the country beginning today. Why Verizon? Because FCC chairman Ajit Pai is the company’s former General Counsel, and it would benefit handsomely from the proposed changes. Margaret Flowers and Kevin Zeese, co-directors of Popular Resistance, joins Brian and John.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is visiting the Greek capital of Athens today, the first sitting Turkish leader to do so in 65 years. Will relations between the two countries that have found themselves on the brink of war three times in the last two decades improve, or will Erdogan’s call to redraw current borders nullify any chance of better relations? Joining the show is Basil Mossaidis, Executive Director of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association.
A government shutdown is looming on Capitol Hill as House Speaker Paul Ryan works to negotiate a deal with Tea Party members of his own party. The Republicans appear to have cut Democrats out of the process. Where does that leave Dreamers, health care, and other issues important to so many Americans?
Democratic Senator Al Franken announced his resignation at a press conference in Washington this morning just one day after a sixth woman came forward to say that Franken had sexually harassed her. Does this portend an attitudinal change on Capitol Hill, at least among Democrats, or will the party, like the Republicans, continue to rally around their own accused? Jane Cutter, editor of LiberationNews.org, joins the show.

Trump's Jerusalem Announcement: "Kiss of Death" For Two-State Solution Dec 06, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Arab Barghouti, activist and son of legendary imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, as well as journalist and filmmaker Dan Cohen.
President Trump has announced that the United States is set to recognize Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel. This is a dramatic departure from the position adopted by past US president. Why, and why now?
Then, Brian and John take a look at the controversy over the banning of the Russian team from the 2018 Winter Olympics over allegations of systematic use performance-enhancing drugs. Is this about the integrity of the game, or politics? Brian and John are joined by Alan Moore, a specialist in sports governance and the host of the Capital FM Sports show based in Moscow, and by Professor Danny Shaw, a political commentator and a boxer.
There has been a dramatic increase in the number of homeless people in the United States. Newsweek reports that Homelessness in the US has risen for the first time since the tail end of the Great Recession as 553,742 people slept rough or in a shelter in a single night earlier this year, with the West Coast facing a particularly acute problem. Activist Carolyn Gómez joins the show.
The revelation that the U.K. government decided to leave the European Union’s trade bloc without calculating the impact adds another twist to a week that was supposed to mark a breakthrough for Prime Minister Theresa May, rather than renewed accusations of incompetence. Steve Keen, professor and author, joins the show.
Donald Trump Jr. testified before the House Intelligence Committee today on “Russiagate”. This comes on the heels of a decision by the Russian government to designate several U.S. news outlets as “foreign agents” in retaliation for similar treatment of RT in the United States. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author, joins the show along with international criminal lawyer Christopher Black.
Next, Brian and John are joined by Gloria La Riva, Director of the Cuba and Venezuela Solidarity Committee, to discuss US-Cuban relations and the report that the Trump Administration is set to appoint career diplomat Philip Goldberg to head the all-but-abandoned U.S. embassy in Havana.
Al Franken is under increasing pressure to resign over sexual harassment, as a possible class action lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein moves forward. Brian and John speak with Heidi Boghosian, executive director of the A.J. Muste Memorial Institute.

Mueller Subpoenas Trump Records At Deutsche Bank. What's the Strategy? Dec 05, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ken Silverstein, the editor-in-chief and lead writer at WashingtonBabylon.com, and by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net.
The Mueller investigation into President Trump’s alleged collusion with Russia has entered a new stage with Special Counsel Robert Mueller issuing subpeonas for information on all of Donald Trump’s accounts at Germany’s Deutsche Bank. Meanwhile, Mueller is asking a federal judge to revoke Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort’s bail because of an op-ed that he tried to have ghostwritten.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed a victory to President Donald Trump by allowing his latest travel ban targeting people from six Muslim-majority countries to go into full effect even as legal challenges continue in lower courts. What will this mean for the families from the targeted countries? Matt Adams, the legal director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, joins the show.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas said this morning that President Trump told him that the United States will move its Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move that will surely be condemned around the Middle East. Turkish President Erdogan, meanwhile, said that if the embassy is moved, he will cut off diplomatic relations with Israel. Brian and John are joined by Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifadah and author of the book The Battle for Justice in Palestine.
Longtime Michigan congressman John Conyers announced his retirement from Congress effective today, but he insists that the move is not a result of the sex scandals swirling around him. He has endorsed his son for the seat. Anoa Changa, host of the weekly radio show The Way With Anoa, joins Brian and John.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri withdrew his resignation today, saying that all members of his government had agreed to stay out of the affairs of other Arab countries, a reference to what Saudi Arabia asserts is an Iranian/Hezballah threat to the Kingdom and the other monarchies that constitute the small Gulf Cooperation Council states. Brian and John speak with Joyce Chediac, a journalist with LiberationNews.org.
The political crisis in Honduras heats up as crowds take to the streets to protest what they call a stolen election and the Honduras police refuse to obey government orders as post-election chaos deepens. Chuck Kaufman, the National Co-cordinator for the Alliance for Global Justice, joins the show.
In Ukraine, former Georgian President and Odessa Governor Saakashvili was arrested, liberated, and called for the overthrow of the Ukrainian government. Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, discusses these developments.

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