Loud & Clear

Latest Episodes:

Trump's Executive Order Designed to Sabotage Healthcare for Millions Oct 12, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by Marcia Stedman, President of Health Care for All - Washington, and by Marc Stier, Director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center.
A dramatic new move from the Trump administration could totally upend insurance markets and lead to the collapse of the Affordable Care Act.
Reaffirming its staunchly anti-Palestinian orientation, The Trump administration announced today that the United States was withdrawing from UNESCO, the cultural and social organization of the United Nations, citing supposed “anti-Israel bias”. Brian and Walter are joined by Jafar Ramini, a Palestinian writer, political analyst and commentator, and by Kim Ives, an editor for Haiti Liberte.
The long Palestinian division between the West Bank and Gaza may finally be coming to an end as a result of an agreement signed today in Egypt. Alberto Garcia Watson, former senior Middle East correspondent for HispanTV, comments on the developments.
Peshmerga briefly blocked the roads between main cities of of the Kurdistan Regional Government and Mosul to protest Iraqi troop movements in the latest escalation of tensions following an independence referendum. Ali Musawi, a war correspondent covering the fight against Daesh in Iraq, joins the show.
Theresa May has said her government is preparing for the dreaded “no deal” scenario in the negotiations over Britain’s exit from the European Union, causing even more disunity in her government. Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, discusses the latest in the Brexit fiasco.
Appearing on Fox News, Donald Trump shed some light on his ominous “calm before the storm” remark, confirming that Korea was the target he had in mind. Keith Bennett, China and Korea expert, joins the show.

Must be "Bigger": Trump Demands Eight-fold Increase in Nuclear Weapons Oct 11, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at Beyond Nuclear.
Donald Trump seems to be in love with nuclear weapons. At a high-level summit of military and foreign policy officials, Trump reportedly requested a nearly ten-fold expansion in the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
Controversy is swirling over cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab, which the New York Times reports has been hacked by Russian and Israeli intelligence agents. We take a look at the big picture of espionage and high tech giants with Jeffrey Carr, a cybersecurity consultant and author of “Inside Cyber Warfare”.
In the second hour, editorial cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall joins the show to discuss California Senator Dianne Feinstein announcing that she plans to run for reelection, a move that has California Democrats in revolt.
As the latest round of NAFTA negotiations begin, the Trump administration and business groups appear to be clashing over several key provisions. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy has maintained his hardline stance against Catalan independence, declaring to parliament that he is ready to suspend the region’s government. Brian and Walter are joined from Berlin by Bolle Selke, a journalist and Sputnik news analyst.
2017 may very well be a record year for Israeli settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved plans to build over 3,700 new housing units. Independent analyst Catherine Shakdam joins the show.

Catalonia Declares Independence then Dodges a Bullet (Maybe Literally) Oct 10, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by John Wight, host of Radio Sputnik's Hard Facts, and by Dick Nichols, correspondent for Green Left Weekly.
Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has taken a step back from the edge and declined to issue a declaration of independence in his much-anticipated address. Will there be international mediation, or will Madrid’s intransigence continue?
Also in the first hour, Brian and Walter discuss the possibility of another Israeli attack on Lebanon, and are joined from Beirut by Jana Nakhal, an independent researcher and a member of the central committee of Lebanese Communist Party.
The collision course initiated by the Trump administration against Iran continues at full speed, with the Iranian government promises a “crushing” response to the anticipated U.S. designation of the Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. Middle East analyst Robert Carter joins the show.
The Republican Party civil war has flared up once again as high-ranking Senator Bob Corker accuses Donald Trump of putting the United States “on the path to World War III”. Brian and Walter speak with Anoa Changa, host of the radio show The Way With Anoa.
First Facebook, and now Google, are being drawn into the controversy over alleged Russian interference in the election. But what’s the big picture about Google’s impact on U.S. politics? Dr. Robert Epstein joins the show to discuss.
Finally, Tensions in Europe are heating up as a new military force consisting of thousands of troops is being assembled in Romania, coinciding with an increase in NATO naval and air activity in the country. Mark Sleboda, international affairs and security analyst, talks about what's behind the latest NATO moves.

Trump Moves to Kill "Detente" With Cuba: A Policy in Need of a Pretext Oct 06, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by Gloria La Riva, the Coordinator of the Cuba and Venezuela Solidarity Committee, and by Attorney Michael Steven Smith, who is an author, activist and host of the radio show Law and Disorder.
41 years ago today Cubana Flight 455 was blown up mid air in a terrorist attack carried out by operatives who had been employed by the CIA that killed all 73 passengers onboard. This year, the anniversary is marked with mounting concern over the extreme hostility towards Cuba displayed by the Trump administration. Is unrestrained aggression once again becoming the U.S. strategy?
In the second hour, Brian and Walter are joined by Greg Mello of the Los Alamos Study Group to discuss this year’s Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
Right-wing Congressman Tim Murphy, a devoted opponent of abortion rights, plans to resign from office after being exposed pressuring a woman he was having an affair with into having an abortion. This comes as the Trump administration announces the roll back of the provision in the Affordable Care Act mandating the coverage of contraception, and as news broke about movie executive and Democratic mega-donor Harvey Weinstein’s long history of harassment -- disgusting, sexist abuse of women and their rights is a bipartisan disease in the United States. Jane Cutter, editor of LiberationNews.org, joins the show.
Some of the biggest banks in the world are heading for the exit as Britain prepares to leave the European Union, and elites in Frankfurt dream of becoming the financial capital of Europe. Economist Steve Keen discusses the importance of the banks and Brexit.
The Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality Act - NICA - has passed the U.S. House of Representatives. This measure against the country’s progressive government aims at cutting off Nicaragua’s sources of financing from international institutions. Chuck Kaufman of the Alliance for Global Justice joins the show.

Giving War a Chance: Trump Prepares to Tear Up Iran "Nuclear Deal" Oct 05, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, to talk about the Trump administration’s plans to decertify the Iran nuclear deal as well as the death of U.S. special forces troops in Niger.
Then, we are joined from London by Robert Carter, a journalist and political commentator on Middle Eastern politics, to discuss the historic summit between top Turkish and Iranian officials, including President Erdogan and Prime MInister Rouhani, to dial up the pressure on the Kurdistan Regional government of Iraq.
In the second hour, Brian and Walter look at the last major population center held by Daesh in Iraq being retaken by Iraqi government forces and its allies. The so-called Islamic State is on the run, but remains a deadly threat. Mojtaba Masood, film maker and journalist, joins the show.
Next, the Spanish government has sent a detachment of soldiers to Catalonia and the Supreme Court has suspended Monday’s session of the regional parliament, when a declaration of independence was expected. Alberto Garcia Watson, former Middle East correspondent for HispanTV, joins the show from Madrid.
Then, in an unusual move, the Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee gave a press conference updating the public on the status of their Russia investigation. The bottom line: expect the witch hunt to be drawn out indefinitely. Dan Kovalik, union organizer and author, joins Walter and Brian to talk about the latest developments in the Russiagate scandal.
Finally, the Trump administration is reportedly preparing to scrap the Clean Power Plan, instituted under the Obama administration to curb emissions by U.S. power plants. But what will it take to really address the climate crisis? Fred Magdoff, author of What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism, joins the show.

America's Killing Machine: 521 Mass Shootings in 477 Days. Why? Oct 04, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek speaks with Julie Hurwitz, activist and a partner with Goodman & Hurwitz, P.C., Bob Schlehuber, news analyst and the producer of the Radio Sputnik show By Any Means Necessary, by Camilo Matos of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, and by financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
In the first hour, they discuss the big issues of the day -- Donald Trump in Las Vegas in the aftermath of the horrific mass shooting, Rex Tillerson attempting to defuse tensions between himself and Donald Trump, and the outrage continues towards Trump’s ridiculous behavior in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico.
In the second hour, Brian and Walter are joined by independent journalist Catherine Shakdam. Testifying to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Secretary of Defense James Mattis defended the Iran nuclear deal, putting him at odds with Donald Trump.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has hit out at the United States over its military actions in Syria, and vowed to respond to U.S. sanctions. International criminal lawyer Christopher Black analyzes the state of U.S.-Russia relations.
There are more mixed messages and confusion coming out of the Trump administration on immigration, as a high-level Department of Homeland Security official suggests that Trump supports the Dream Act, but then a spokesperson quickly backpedaled. Angie Kim, community organizer with the MinKown Center for Community Action, joins the show.
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has made another one of his signature gaffes, joking about “clearing away dead bodies” in Libya, the country his government helped destroy. Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, discusses Johnson's comments.

OMG! Trump Tells Suffering Puerto Ricans "You're Straining US Budget!" Oct 03, 2017

Show notes

On today’s episode of Loud & Clear, award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall and journalist and filmmaker Dan Cohen join the show.
In our first hour, we discuss two big issues. First we talk about Donald Trump’s trip to Puerto Rico and the outrageous statements he made there. Then, the panel talks about the landmark Palestinian cabinet meeting held in Gaza and efforts and Palestinian reconciliation.
The U.S. government has expelled 15 diplomats from the Cuban Embassy in Washington, following the U.S. withdrawal of the bulk of its staff in Havana last week. Is the Trump administration attempting to undo any steps taken towards normalization of U.S.-Cuban relations? Arnold August, author of the book “Cuba-US Relations: Obama and Beyond,” talks about the issue.
The “Russian Facebook ads” story has become a parody of itself. After turning over the ads to congressional investigators, Facebook has now announced that the majority of the ads in question were seen after election day. Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist and analyst specializing in U.S. national security policy discusses this development.
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of Catalonia today as part of a general strike to protest police attacks on people attempting to participate in Sunday’s independence referendum that left nearly 900 injured. Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek, joins the show.
Are big polluters calling the shots at the Environmental Protection Agency? EPA head Scott Pruitt’s appointment schedule certainly suggests that this is the case. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the advocacy organization Beyond Nuclear, talks about this issue.

Why is America the #1 Leader in Mass Shootings? Culture of Militarism? Oct 02, 2017

Show notes

On today’s episode of Loud & Clear, Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent and who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year, by independent journalist Denis Rogatyuk and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
In our first hour, we discuss two big issues. First, the hosts talk about the massacre in Las vegas that has left scores dead and hundreds wounded. Then, a panel talks about the independence referendum in Catalonia and what comes next after the wide-scale repression on Sunday by the central government’s security forces.
Donald Trump delivered a public rebuke to his own Secretary of State, scolding him for considering talks with North Korea. Is Trump on a warpath? Prof. Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute, talks about the issue.
The trial of the alleged mastermind of the 2012 Benghazi attack that killed the U.S. ambassador to the country begins today. But five years after the attack, Libya remains mired in civil war. Ben Norton, a journalist for AlterNet’s Grayzone Project, discusses this development.
Sitting in the comfort of his Bedminster golf resort, Donald Trump was full of praise for his administration’s response to the crisis in Puerto Rico and attacks critics of the relief effort. But huge numbers of people remain without basic necessities. Shawn Garcia, the Executive Director of Revolutionary Fitness, joins the show.
The heated debate over the future of healthcare in the United States continues. Although the Graham-Cassidy bill was derailed, congress has now failed to renew the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Meanwhile, support for single payer grows. David Hughes, President of the research and advocacy organization Citizen Power, talks about this issue.

Bombs Away, Bombs Away: Trump and Saudis Promise Arms Bonanza Sep 29, 2017

Show notes

On today’s episode of Loud & Clear, Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of CodePink, and Vicki Huddleston, a veteran U.S. diplomat and the former head of the United States Interests Section in Havana, join the show.
In our first hour, we discuss two big issues. First, there is a rapidly growing pace of U.S. arms sales and the big changes going on in one of its top customers -- Saudi Arabia. Then, the panel talks about the alleged sonic attacks in Cuba.
While the total number of deportations has fallen since the Trump administration took office, the number of arrests carried out by ICE is way up. Nearly one year since his election, what has President Donald Trump meant for immigrant communities? Angie Kim, a community organizer with the MinKwon Center for Community Action who received relief through the DACA program, talks about the issue.
Is the uptick in airstrikes on Libya in recent days a prelude to an even greater expansion of the U.S. role in the country? More than six years after the U.S./NATO intervention the toppled the government of Moammar Gaddafi, Libya remains in chaos. Christopher Black, an international criminal defense lawyer at the International Criminal Court, discusses this development.
Senator Mark Warner is “deeply disappointed” that Twitter was unable to produce proof of a large-scale Russian influence campaign. The evidence-less Russiagate scandal continues. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer and author, joins the show.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared his previous hostility towards the United States “water under the bridge” and praised the U.S.-Philippines alliance. Rhonda Ramiro, Vice Chair of Bayan-USA, talks about this issue.

Russiagate: Media Missing the Big Picture in Facebook, Twitter Inquiry Sep 28, 2017

Show notes

On today’s episode of Loud & Clear, Dr. Robert Epstein, Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, and Paul Street, a journalist, historian and author, join the show.
In our first hour, we discuss the controversy over the so-called “Russian Facebook ads” that have now drawn a direct response from Donald Trump.
The “Gang of Six” top Republicans have unveiled their proposal for an overhaul of the U.S. tax system. Corporations can look forward to a big tax break -- who are the other winners and losers? Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey talks about the issue.
FBI Director Christopher Wray has testified that there are 1,000 domestic terrorism investigations underway, mainly related to white supremacist groups and individuals. But has the federal government ever been serious about tackling violent, racist groups? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author, discusses this development.
UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn gave an impassioned speech at the party conference yesterday, slamming Saudi Arabia, Israel and Donald Trump while demanding that Britain stay in the European single market. Jackie Walker, former Vice Chair of the pro-Jeremy Corbyn organization Momentum, joins the show.
The Spanish central government is pulling out all the stops to prevent the Catalan independence vote from going ahead, calling in thousands of police officers. Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly, talks about this issue.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected