Loud & Clear

Latest Episodes:

Prison Nation: America's New Form Of Slavery Sep 13, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Eddie Conway, a journalist with The Real News Network who was the Minister of Defence of the Baltimore branch of the Black Panther Party and a political prisoner for 44 years, as well as by Alex Friedmann, Associate Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and managing editor for Prison Legal News.
Today is the 46th anniversary of the massacre that ended the Attica prison uprising. To mark the occasion, Loud & Clear discusses the prison system in this country -- the human rights abuses, the exploitation, the neglect of prisoners, and more. Could another Attica rebellion happen in 2017?
In the second hour, John and Brian take a look at the breaking news of the day.
First, financial analyst Daniel Sankey and Popular Resistance co-director Kevin Zeese talk about President Donald Trump’s plans to slash taxes for corporations and wealthy Americans.
Next, Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah announced that victory over the Islamic State is at hand in Syria and that only mop-up operations remain. We’ll speak with former UK Ambassador to Syria Peter Ford.
In the third segment, the hosts talk to Korean Policy Institute fellow Dr. Simone Chun and international criminal lawyer Christopher Black about reports that the South Korean government has established a “decapitation squad” to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
And finally, they speak with journalist and author Arnold August about developments in Venezuela, stuck between its populist movement on one side and the United States on the other, with economic and social collapse in the offing.

Justice Department Attacks RT: Freedom of the Press Under Assault in US Sep 12, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and co-host John Kiriakou discuss the assault on freedom of the press in this country, alongside activist and former CIA analyst Ray McGovern.
To start the second hour, Brian and John to talk about how Bernie Sanders will announce a new “medicare for all” bill tomorrow, after attracting several high-profile co-sponsors. After years of grassroots efforts, universal healthcare appears to be getting a serious hearing on Capitol Hill. They are joined by Dr. Margaret Flowers, co-director of Popular Resistance.
The clash between internet giants and European governments continues, as Google appeals a massive fine and Facebook is hit with a new penalty. Dr. Robert Epstein, Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology joins the show.
Is the Trump administration preparing a campaign to heat up tensions with Iran? The so-called Iran Nuclear Deal remains intact, but for how long? Dan Kovalik, a labor and human rights lawyer who recently returned from Iran discusses this issue.
Scott Pruitt, the anti-environment head of the Environmental Protection Agency, is taking flak from all sides after he suggested it would be inappropriate to discuss climate change in the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Irma. Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont, joins Brian and John to discuss.
As the Labour Party in the UK comes together around a plan for a “soft” exit from the European Union, the Conservative government of Theresa May appears rudderless in the tough negotiations. Economist and author Steve Keen talks about these developments.

U.S. Foreign Policy 16 Years After 9/11 Attack: The Era of Endless War Sep 11, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined for the first time by co-host John Kiriakou.
In the first hour, John and Brian discuss how the September 11th attacks changed the United States and the world, alongside professor and author Peter Kuznick and author and columnist Patrick Lawrence.
To start the second hour, Brian and John address how the FBI is investigating Sputnik for possible violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act along with Sputnik US editor-in-chief Mindia Gavasheli.
Next, Hurricane Irma is ripping through Florida, causing huge devastation in its wake. Were preparations adequate? And how will residents rebuild? Ruth Beltran of the Tampa Chapter of Black Lives Matter and Juliana Musheyev, a board member of the Sarasota Peace Education and Action Center, join the show.
The United Nations is set to vote today on additional sanctions against North Korea. Will China and Russia stand up to the United States, which are seeking suffocating new measures? Gregory Elich of the Committee for Peace and Democracy in Korea discusses the vote.
Hillary Clinton’s memoir of her election defeat is released tomorrow in which she blames seemingly everyone for her shocking loss to Donald Trump. As Schumer and Pelosi cozy up to President Trump, is the Democratic Party elite completely incapable of learning from their mistakes? Ted Rall, editorial cartoonist and columnist, joins Brian and John to discuss.
The Syrian Army is advancing on the city of Deir ez-Zor at the same time that the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have started an operation to clear Daesh from the countryside to the north of the city. Rick Sterling of the Syria Solidarity Movement talks about these developments.

Trump Begins Honeymoon With Democratic Party Elites Sep 08, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Dave Lindorff, investigative reporter.
So much for the Democratic Party’s “resistance” -- Republicans are incensed and Democrats are enamored with their new friend in the wake of the debt ceiling deal Trump agreed to on Wednesday.
Equifax, the multi-billion dollar consumer credit agency, has been the victim of a data breach that could affect up to 143 million people -- but before the company broke the news three of its executives sold nearly $2 million in stock. Daniel Sankey, financial policy advisor, discusses the news with Brian.
Venezuela has become the first country to offer assistance to nations needing help in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma after donating $5 million to the United States for Hurricane Harvey relief. Carlos Ron, the Charges D'Affaires the Venezuelan embassy in the United States, joins the show.
Mexico has been hit by the most powerful earthquake in a century that has left dozens dead. Jim Jordan, National Co-Coordinator of the Alliance for Global Justice, and Eduardo Garcia, Media and Communications Coordinator at School of the Americas Watch, discuss the impact of the disaster.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron gave a dramatic speech in front of the Acropolis in Athens last night, posturing as the savior of the European Union. John Wight, host of Radio Sputnik's Hard Facts, discusses if the EU can really be fixed.

Florida Cops: "We are Ready to Arrest Hurricane Survivors at Shelter" Sep 07, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Ruth Beltran of the Tampa Chapter of Black Lives Matter and Juliana Musheyev, a board member of the Sarasota Peace Education and Action Center.
Hurricane Irma heads toward Florida. The government has started evacuations but a sheriff in Polk County has said the police will be checking IDs at shelters and arresting those with outstanding warrants.
Israel has attacked Syria once again as the battle against Daesh continues to rage in the city of Deir Ezzor. Alberto Garcia Watson, former senior correspondent for HispanTV, joins the show.
Next, Russiagate is back in the news following a Facebook report -- but what does this report actually indicate? John Kirakou, former CIA analyst and whistleblower, joins Brian to discuss the report.
The Mayor of Chicago declares his city a ‘Trump Free Zone’ following the repeal of DACA. Brian speaks with John Beacham, an organizer with the ANSWER Coalition, about the struggle over the Dreamers program.
Finally, will there be independence for Catalonia? A referendum is coming but the central government of Spain is moving to cancel the vote. Dick Nichols, correspondent for Green Left Weekly based in Barcelona, joins Brian to discuss the upcoming vote.

Clinton On Why She Lost: "It Was Bernie, Russia, Obama, Media and ..." Sep 06, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Kevin Zeese, co-director of Popular Resistance.
Hillary Clinton’s new book on her election loss last year attacks Bernie Sanders and says that he helped lay the groundwork for Trump’s ‘Crooked Hillary’ campaign.
Thousands of police and protesters are facing off in the South Korean village of Seongju just hours ahead of the deployment of four new U.S.-operated THAAD rocket launchers. Brian is joined by Prof. Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network; as well as Will Griffin, a member of the Task Force to Stop THAAD in Korea and Militarism in Asia and the Pacific.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey and ongoing relief operations, Hurricane Irma is causing major damage in the Caribbean as it heads toward Florida. Camilo Punsoda, spokesperson for Juventud Trabajadora, the youth wing of the Working People’s Party of Puerto Rico, joins the show.
New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez goes on trial today over two years after he was indicted on corruption charges. Who is Menendez, and could his trial swing the balance of power in Washington? Ted Rall, editorial cartoonist and columnist, joins Brian.
Prosecutors continue to close in on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and now his wife, Sara Netanyahu, is expected to be charged with fraud. Dan Cohen, journalist and filmmaker, talks about the importance of the case and what's to come.

US: “N. Korea begging for war!” Will America Escalate or Negotiate? Sep 05, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, and by Greg Mello, Executive Director of the Los Alamos Study Group.
The United States has menacingly declared that North Korea is ‘begging for war’ in the aftermath of a hydrogen bomb test by the DPRK.
The Trump administration has announced that it will end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA program. But with a six-month window before the program expires, the stage is set for intense struggle. Angie Kim, a community organizer with the MinKwon Center for Community Action discusses this.
On a visit to Houston over the weekend Donald Trump said the Hurricane Harvey relief operation was ‘working out well’, but the scale of the devastation is immense. Ann Wright, a retired U.S. Army colonel and State Department official who resigned in protest of the 2003 US invasion of Iraq who is in Texas helping with disaster relief, joins Brian.
Syrian government forces have breached a 3-year siege of the city of Deir al-Zor, giving them a major strategic victory as the territory held by the so-called Islamic State continues to erode. Brian is joined by Christopher Davidson, professor at the University of Durham and the author of ‘Shadow Wars: The Secret Struggle for the Middle East’, and by Massoud Shadjareh, the co-founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
While the U.S. mulls sending lethal weapons to Ukraine’s government, Russia is proposing a peacekeeping operation in the eastern part of the country to defuse simmering tensions. Ben Norton, a journalist with AlterNet's GrayZone Project, joins the show.

Lives In The Balance: Will Trump Deport 800,000 Young Immigrants? Sep 01, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Angie Kim, a community organizer with the MinKwon Center for Community Action.
Donald Trump will announce his decision this weekend on whether to end DACA. Will 800,000 young people be put on a priority deportation list?
Erik Prince, the founder of the mercenary company formerly known as Blackwater, gave a wide ranging interview to the Huffington Post in which he advocates a private army to be deployed to Afghanistan. Whistleblower John Kiriakou joins the show.
Donald Trump is now proposing $6 billion in emergency funding for the relief effort after Hurricane Harvey, but Republicans in Congress had been aiming to cut the FEMA budget by nearly $900 million to fund Trump’s border wall. In the United States, relief for the poor is always the last priority. Anoa Changa, the host of the weekly radio show The Way With Anoa, joins the show.
A new round of NAFTA renegotiations begin again today in Mexico City. As Trump’s popularity plummets, will he keep his campaign promises about trade? Pete Dolack, an organizer with Trade Justice New York Metro and author of "It’s Not Over: Learning from the Socialist Experiment", joins Brian.
As Brexit negotiations hit a brick wall, the UK government reportedly sought to negotiate directly with EU heavyweights France and Germany -- something that French President Emmanuel Macron strongly denies. Brian is joined by John Wight, the host of Radio Sputnik's weekly show Hard Facts.

George Galloway: Cold War Gets Colder As Generals Take Power in the White House Aug 31, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by George Galloway, former British parliamentarian.
The new Cold War between the United States and Russia became colder today as the U.S. State Department is forcing the closure of the Russian consulate in San Francisco and two annex buildings in New York and Washington.
Is complaining about Google dangerous? The influential New American Foundation terminated an entire research team that publicly opposed Google’s monopoly practices. Dr. Robert Epstein, former editor of Psychology Today, joins the show.
A chemical factory explodes in Houston. The suffering gets worse. We compare US and Cuba’s approach to hurricanes with Gloria La Riva, activist, journalist and award-winning videographer who was the 2016 Presidential candidate for the Party for Socialism and Liberation; and Gail Walker, the executive director of Pastors for Peace.
The Iraqi Army has declared victory against the so-called Islamic State in the city of Tal Afar but what does liberation look like? Anti-war activist and Iraq war veteran Ryan Endicott joins Brian.
More troops to Afghanistan in a war without end -- but what is the US strategy? Joe Lombardo, co-coordinator of the United National Anti-War Coalition joins Brian along with Walter Smolarek, producer of Loud & Clear.

Will Saudis Face UN Trials for Yemen War Crimes? Aug 30, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of CODEPINK.
A coalition of 62 organizations has urged the United Nations to establish an inquiry into human rights abuses in Yemen, where the brutal, intensifying civil war has caused the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Donald Trump and Jeff Sessions want to give the Chicago police a green light to continue their reign of terror over Black and Latino communities, but after sustained pressure in the streets and the courtroom from Black Lives Matter activists Illinois’ Attorney General has stepped in to sue the CPD. Kofi Ademola and Aislinn Borsini, both organizers with the Black Lives Matter movement in Chicago, join the show.
As Hurricane Harvey batters the Gulf Coast, the life-and-death issue of climate change is back in the spotlight. Is climate change causing extreme weather events? What role does capitalism play in climate change. Joining the show to address these and many other questions is Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont, as well as the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation”.

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