Loud & Clear

Latest Episodes:

Back to the Brink? A New Catastrophic Korean War? Aug 29, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by historian and journalist Gareth Porter, as well as professor Derek Ford who led the last group of U.S. tourists to North Korea.
The White House has once again said that all options are on the table following a missile test conducted by the DPRK, a move that follows U.S.-South Korean war games simulating the destruction of the North.
The Trump administration seems intent on doing whatever it takes to find Iran non-compliant with the nuclear agreement when it comes up for review in October. Just like in Iraq, bogus intelligence could put the U.S. on the path to war. Brian is joined by Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, and by Dan Kovalik, a labor and human rights lawyer who recently returned from Iran.
The factional war in the White House continue to rage. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has distanced himself from Trump in recent days amid a firestorm of controversy. Ted Rall, award winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, joins the show.

Getting Away With Murder & Torture: Trump Pardons Sheriff Arpaio Aug 28, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos and Caroline Isaacs, Arizona Program Director at the American Friends Service Committee.
Outrage continues to grow after Donald Trump’s decision to pardon notorious Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Arizona. Torture and murder and brutality were key to his reign of terror
Hurricane Harvey continues to devastate parts of Texas, but the destruction is far from just being a natural disaster. Why can’t the richest country in the world provide for all of its residents during natural disasters? Brian is joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston, and by Dr. Henry Clark, executive director of the West County Toxics Coalition.
The Russiagate scandal continues with a new Washington Post story that the Trump team was planning the construction of a new Trump Tower in Moscow during the election campaign. But missing from the headlines was this fact -- the Russian government had denied the permits for Trump’s project. Brian is joined by John Kiriakou, former CIA officer and senior investigator on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee turned whistleblower.

US Prosecutors Can Examine Web Communication of Dissenters, Judge Rules Aug 25, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, Executive Director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund.
In an attack on civil liberties and privacy rights, a judge has ordered the “DisruptJ20.org” website to hand over visitor records to the Justice Department as part of a sweeping criminal case against protesters at the Trump Inauguration on January 20. The Trump administration continues the long war on dissent in the United States.
The massive pipeline corporation Energy Transfer Partners has hired Donald Trump’s lawyers to sue the environmental organizations Greenpeace, BankTrack and Earth First, accusing them of ‘eco-terrorism’ over their role in the peaceful, mass actions against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Brian is joined by Kandi Mossett of the Indigenous Environmental Network who was a part of the Standing Rock movement.
The European Union and the UK appear to be on a collision course as border, trade, and other disagreements pile up in the ongoing “Brexit” negotiations. Steve Keen, author of Debunking Economics and professor at Kingston University, joins the show.

Syria War: "It's a Lost Cause" Saudi Patrons Tell Terrorists Aug 24, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by HispanTV's former senior Middle East correspondent Alberto Garcia Watson.
The Syrian opposition is being told to come to grips with the likely survival of Bashar al-Assad’s government. This comes as Israel has said that it could strike Iranian forces in Syria in order to prevent Tehran from furthering its influence in the country.
Secretary of Defense James Mattis is in Ukraine, where he heightened tensions by declaring the U.S. may provide lethal military aid to the Kiev government. Rick Sterling, investigative journalist, joins Brian.
The Russiagate conspiracy has come roaring back into the headlines as details emerge about the tension between the White House and Congress over the recently-passed sanctions bill and CNN comes out with a story about an e-mail from a Trump aide referencing an offer to set up a meeting with Vladimir Putin. Brian is joined by Jim Kavanagh, editor of ThePolemicist.net.

Trump's Delusions on Middle East "Peace" Aug 23, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Ali Abunimah, co-founder of the news outlet The Electronic Intifada.
Trump adviser Jared Kushner is in the Middle East leading a high-profile delegation on a trip to the Middle East with the aim of restarting Palestinian-Israeli talks. But is this just a way to stall and buy time for the brutal Israeli occupation?
Thousands gathered outside to protest as Donald Trump gave a campaign-style speech last night in Phoenix where he doubled down on the far right rhetoric that has caused widespread outrage in the wake of the white supremacist terrorist attack in Charlottesville. Ted Rall, award winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, joins the show.
Angela Merkel is publicly distancing herself from Donald Trump’s ultra-aggressive position on North Korea. Meanwhile, Chinese and Russian companies were sanctioned for their alleged support of North Korea. Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins Brian.

Trump Backs Generals' Plan to Stop Russia's Peace Push in Afghan War Aug 22, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by international lawyer Christopher Black, and anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan.
Donald Trump delivered his big speech on Afghanistan last night, giving his endorsement and signalling an escalation in the longest war in U.S. history.
Trump heads to Phoenix this evening for a campaign-style rally despite wide opposition to his administration in the city, including the city’s mayor and even the state’s two Republicans senators. Paul Street, a journalist, historian and author, joins Brian.
The so-called Islamic State is on the defensive from the border of Lebanon to Iraq as their territory vastly diminishes. Meanwhile, U.S. airstrikes continue to claim large numbers of civilian lives. Researcher Jana Nakhal and former CIA analyst turned whistleblower John Kiriakou join the show.

Trump and the Generals: Why the U.S. Plans Endless War in Afghanistan Aug 21, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Matthew Hoh, a Senior Fellow at the Center for International Policy.
Donald Trump will announce his administration’s new strategy for Afghanistan this evening in a primetime address, a decision that could see a deepening of America’s longest war with thousands of additional troops being deployed.
The tide has turned decisively against the far right as 40,000 people rallied in Boston over the weekend to denounce white supremacy and Donald Trump a week after the neo-Nazi attack in Charlottesville. Brian is joined by Nino Brown, an activist with the ANSWER Coalition and a leading organizer of the Stand for Solidarity demonstration that countered the far right so-called “free speech” rally.
As the debate on healthcare heats up and single payer becomes more popular with people across the country, is the Democratic Party elite trying to sabotage any attempt to put a Medicare for all, single payer system on the agenda? Dr. Margaret Flowers, co-director of Popular Resistance, joins the show.

Bannon Ousted as Trump Huddles with Generals on Afghan War Aug 18, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by human rights and labor lawyer Dan Kovalik, and Brian Terrell of Voice for Creative Non-Violence.
Steve Bannon, White House chief strategist is out. His firing comes on the day that Trump meets with the generals to discuss an escalation of the war in Afghanistan, a move which Bannon opposed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been silent on his friend Donald Trump’s comments defending the neo-Nazis who rallied and carried out a terrorist attack in Charlottesville last weekend. Brian is joined by Max Blumenthal, journalist and bestselling author, as well as the senior editor of AlterNet’s Grayzone Project.
A judge has ordered the deportation of Rasmea Odeh, a Palestinian activist who had her U.S. citizenship taken away from her. But despite this injustice, the struggle for a free Palestine continues. Kristian Davis Bailey, the founder of Black4Palestine who was in court yesterday with Rasmea, joins the show.

Chemical weapons in Syria: Made in the USA? Aug 17, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by international affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda.
Syria’s government says it has discovered chemical agents at the depots of armed opposition fighters -- manufactured in the United States and the UK!
Donald Trump’s chief political strategist Steven Bannon has given a wide ranging interview in which he distances himself from the so-called ‘Alt-Right’ and claims that an existential “economic war with China is everything”. Kevin Zeese, the co-director of Popular Resistance, joins the show.
Republican Party leaders in Congress are distancing themselves from Donald Trump’s emotional expression of solidarity with forces within the white supremacist movement. Trump calls the removal of Confederate monuments sad and ‘so foolish', receiving praise from KKK leaders. Brian is joined by editorial cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall.

CEOs Abandon Trump Ship as NAFTA Renegotiations Begin Aug 16, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by professor and author Steve Keen, as well as financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Talks begin today in the renegotiation of NAFTA, the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement. Trump campaigned against NAFTA saying it harms U.S. workers, but is it impossible for him to please workers without going against big business?
California became the first state to sue the Trump administration over its policy on sanctuary cities this past weekend. Today, Jeff Sessions is speaking on the issue in Miami as part of the administration’s hostile anti-immigrant policy. Juan Jose Gutierrez, the director of the Full Rights For Immigrants Coalition, joins Brian.
Donald Trump has now openly defended the white supremacists some of whom he says are “very fine people” attacking what he calls “the alt-left”. Meanwhile, a wave of protest sweeps the country against confederate monuments, leading to their removal in Baltimore. Dominique Stevenson, Program Director for the American Friends Service Committee’s Friend of a Friend program, joins the show along with Loud & Clear producer Walter Smolarek.

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