Loud & Clear

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What Did Trump Actually Say at NATO Summit? May 26, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by political analyst Dmitry Babich.
Donald Trump made his first visit to NATO yesterday in Brussels as he also met with leaders of the European Union, but the visit reportedly did not go as well as expected amid differences over Russia and military spending.
Brazil’s President Michel Temer deployed the army on Wednesday as protests and calls for his impeachment increased. Will Temer be driven from office as his approval rate dips into single digits? Brian is joined by Kim Ives, an editor with Haiti Liberte newspaper, and by Brazilian activist and research fellow at the Center for Hemispheric Affairs Aline Piva.
Oil prices dropped yesterday after a meeting of OPEC countries decided to extend production cuts, but not by as much as was expected. Is the extension enough to put an end to the global oil glut? And what does it mean for the economic war between shale gas frackers and oil drillers? Steve Keen, professor at Kingston University, joins the show.

Trump to NATO: You are no Longer Obsolete May 25, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran.
Donald Trump is speaking today at the headquarters of the NATO military alliance. Although he once called NATO obsolete, Trump has reversed his position since assuming office in line with his ultra-militarist turn.
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has raised the possibility of initiating martial law across the country, one day after it was declared on the island of Mindanao. Is the country returning to the bleak days of dictatorship? Bernadette Ellorin, the chair of BAYAN-USA, joins the show.
Opposition violence continues to rage in Venezuela as President Maduro announces more details on the elections to the constituent assembly. Dr. Francisco Dominguez, head of the Centre for Brazilian and Latin American Studies at Middlesex University, speaks to Brian about developments.

Yemen's Forgotten War: Humanitarian Nightmare Grows, US Raids Escalate May 24, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence.
A huge outbreak of cholera is feared in Yemen, which has suffered under more than two years of brutal war. But instead of providing humanitarian relief, the U.S. government is carrying out military operations like the Navy SEAL raid conducted yesterday.
Donald Trump visited Bethlehem yesterday and held a press conference with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Trump says he is looking for the ‘ultimate deal’ between Palestinians and Israel, but will anyone take him seriously after years of
bombastic pro-Israel rhetoric? Miko Peled, activist and author, joins the show.
An independence referendum is scheduled to take place this year for the Kurdish region of Iraq. What would a vote to leave Iraq mean for the country, the region and the world?Kani Xulam, director of the American Kurdish Information Network, joins Brian.

The "Art" of a New Arms Race: Trump Tours the Middle East May 23, 2017

Show notes

On today'e episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Massoud Shadjareh of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
Donald Trump’s first trip abroad continues as Israel’s President Netanyahu welcomed him to Tel Aviv. He’ll meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas today -- but is there any indication that Trump will deviate from the United States’ decades-old fervently pro-Israel orientation?
Trump’s proposed budget reportedly includes $800 billion in cuts to Medicaid over ten years in line with the “TrumpCare” bill that passed the House of Representative. Will these cuts, along with others to a number of social programs, spell disaster for millions of Americans who rely on these services? Brian is joined by Dr. Carol Paris, President of Physicians for a National Health Plan.
New developments are shaping the tumultuous relationship between the United States and China. Recent revelations about the break up of a CIA spy ring and the confirmation of a new U.S. ambassador have come on the heels of China’s historic Belt and Road Forum. Keith Bennett, China expert, joins the show.

The Forgotten Story Behind Watergate May 22, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Peter Kuznick, professor of history at American University and co-author with Oliver Stone of The Untold History of the United States.
As the fallout from Donald Trump’s firing of FBI director James Comey continues, politicians and media outlets are making constant references to the Watergate scandal. But what are the real lessons of Watergate? What was Watergate? Why did it happen?
Brazil’s President Michel Temer, who came to power after the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff that many consider a coup, has reportedly been caught on tape encouraging an associate to engage in bribery. Protests rage as Temer stubbornly refuses to step down. Brian speaks with lecturer, journalist and author Arnold August.
With just weeks to go before the general election in the UK, polls show Jeremy Corbyn rising after he launched the Labour Party’s new manifesto. Steve Hedley, assistant General Secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union (RMT), joins the show.

Appointed Special Counsel: Will Former FBI Director Bring Down Trump? May 19, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Kevin Zeese, the co-director of Popular Resistance, and Dave Lindorff, a founding member of This Can’t Be Happening.
The Justice Department has appointed former FBI director Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate President Trump’s alleged ties with Russia, as Trump lashes out at the ongoing witch hunt.
Iran’s presidential election takes place today, with incumbent Hassan Rouhani looking to secure a second term to move forward with his agenda of reform. What’s at stake in this important election? Catherine Shakdam, independent political commentator, joins the show.
Mired in controversy at home, Donald Trump is finally making his first foreign trip as President, over four months after taking office. What can we expect as Trump arrives in Saudi Arabia? Alberto Garcia Watson, former senior correspondent for HispanTV, joins Brian.

State of Siege: Is Trump Facing Impeachment? May 18, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by editorial cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall.
The war inside the political establishment reached new heights as news broke about the existence of memos written by James Comey documenting Trump’s request for him to drop the probe into Michael Flynn. Is a possible impeachment in the making?
Turkish President Erdogan has completed two days of talks in Washington with Donald Trump. Did Erdogan come away empty handed? Did the talks contribute to a new beginning in the Turkey-U.S. relationship, or are relations likely to remain rocky? Brian is joined by Kani Xulan, executive director of the Kurdish American Information Network, and by Loud & Clear producer Walter Smolarek.
President Trump hosts Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos at the White House today for their first meeting -- but Trump has already met with two former Presidents of Colombia since becoming president. What’s the Trump administration’s posture toward peace in Colombia and the continent? Dr. James Cockroft, founder of the Network of Intellectuals, Artists, and Social Movements in Defense of Humanity, joins the show.

Chelsea Manning, Longest Held Whistleblower in US History, Goes Free May 17, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Noelle Hanrahan, executive director of Prison Radio; Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor of American history at the University of Tulsa; and by Gerry Condon, a member of the board of directors of Veterans for Peace.
Chelsea Manning, the whistleblower who was convicted of espionage for sending hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks revealing U.S. operations in Iraq, will be released today, after her sentence was greatly reduced by President Obama at the end of his term. Who is Manning? How important were the leaks that she gave to WikiLeaks? And what was behind the decision of Obama to allow her an early release despite being sentenced to 35 years in prison?
tags: chelseamanning, whistleblower, obama, iraq, wikileaks

NSA's Blame: Loses Control of Cyberweapons, Computers Globally Infected May 16, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by William Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary whistleblower; and by Bryan Ford, head of the Decentralized/Distributed Systems lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. William Binney will be speaking on May 30th at the European Parliament about the issues of mass surveillance and bulk data collection.
A massive cyberattack affected hospitals and companies around the world beginning last Friday, with hundreds of thousands of computers in more than 50 countries affected. It turned out that this huge attack was carried out with cyber tools developed by the NSA. Why is the NSA unable to control its cyber arsenal? How does the NSA undermine both cybersecurity and democracy?

Nakba Day: Why Does the United States Support Israeli Apartheid? May 15, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Aarab Barghouti, creator of “The Salt Water Challenge” and the son of Marwan Barghouti; by activist Dr. Dahlia Wasfi; and by activist and author Miko Peled.
Today is Nakba Day, the commemoration of the murderous displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians during the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. Now a new bill has been proposed in the Israeli parliament that seeks to criminalize marking the day, at the same time as thousands of Palestinian prisoners continue a hunger strike in Israeli jails and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aims to push through legislation officially making Israel a nation state.

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