Loud & Clear

Latest Episodes:

Donald Trump & Jeff Sessions: Rolling Back the Civil Rights Revolution Feb 13, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Ruth Beltran, a member of Black Lives Matter - Sarasota; by Eugene Puryear, the host of Radio Sputnik’s By Any Means Necessary; and by Bob Schlehuber, a Sputnik News analyst and producer of that program.
President Trump has moved forward on campaign promises to launch a law-and-order crackdown, signing executive orders last week to create special task forces. Does this mean an even more advanced police state is in the making? What does it mean for the movement against police brutality and for the African-American community? Is this the institutionalizing of the slogan “Blue Lives Matter”?

Following Trump Phone Call CIA Director Rushes to Meet Erdogan Feb 10, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran.
The zig-zags continue in U.S.-Turkish relations. CIA director Mike Pompeo arrived in Ankara yesterday after President Trump and Turkish leader Erdogan spoke over the phone, vowing to combat Daesh in Syria.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrives in Washington today as he continues his frantic efforts to ingratiate himself with the Trump administration. Will he promise the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs in the U.S. as a means of maintaining the Japan-U.S. relationship? Writer and analyst Patrick Lawrence joins Brian to discuss.
Is the Trump administration on the verge of issuing an executive order that would put Daesh detainees in Guantanamo Bay? The notorious torture center may now start expanding again. Jeremy Varon, professor and member of the activist group Witness Against Torture, joins the show.

To the Barricades: Standing Rock Vows Resistance to Trump and Big Oil Feb 09, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Kandi Mossett, an activist with the Indigenous Environmental Network.
The Dakota Access Pipeline has been given the go ahead by the U.S Army after Donald Trump signaled his commitment to finish the project. A new stage of resistance awaits as activists vow to fight on at Standing Rock.
German intelligence have said that they have found no evidence of meddling against the government of Angela Merkel, but have at the same time accused Russian media of taking a confrontational approach and looking to influence the outcome of this year’s election. Is this a replay of the “Russian influence” conspiracy theory that’s widely believed about the U.S. election? Geopolitical analysts Dr. Rainer Rothfuss and and Dmitry Babich join the show.
The Trump administration could mean a boon to private military and intelligence companies. Erik Prince, among the most notorious of these mercenaries, got a step closer to the center of power with the confirmation of his sister, Betsy DeVos, to Trump’s cabinet. Jeremy Kuzmarov, professor of history at the University of Tulsa and author of Modernizing Repression: Police Training and Nation-Building in the American Century, joins Brian.

From the Streets to the Courts: Trump Travel Ban Faces Ultimate Test Feb 08, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Jorge Barón, Executive Director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, the organization that filed the class action lawsuit challenging Trump's executive order.
The legal and political drama continues over Donald Trump’s executive order temporarily banning entry from 7 majority-Muslim countries and all refugees. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments yesterday, but is this case destined to be decided by the Supreme Court?
For the first time ever, the Vice-President has had to break a tie in a Senate confirmation hearing. Education Secretary and billionaire political donor Betsy DeVos’ performance during the confirmation showed a profound lack of knowledge about education policy, and her support for privatizing education has sparked outrage among education rights activists. Derek Ford, professor of education studies at Depauw University, joins the show.
Could tensions in the South China Sea be resolved through dialogue despite the Trump administration’s aggressive posture towards China? Secretary of Defence James Mattis said diplomats should work to solve the issue, leading China to express cautious optimism. John Ross, a Senior Fellow at Chonyang Institute for Financial Studies at the Renmin University of China, talks with Brian about if it's too early to tell if diplomacy will win out in U.S.-China relations.

Trump Promises $100 billion payday to big banks Feb 07, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
President Trump is taking aim at banking regulations after signing an executive order that would chip away at the Dodd-Frank Act. This could be a gift worth $100 billion or more for the biggest banks.
Donald Trump held his first phone call with Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko over the weekend while also sending signals that he could seek cooperation with Russia in Syria. So which way is the wind blowing for the new U.S. administration? Mark Sleboda, international security and affairs analyst, joins the show.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday, urging Britain to take a more aggressive line on Iran just days after the Trump administration rolled out new sanctions against Tehran. Brian is joined by Catherine Shakdam, political commentator and analyst, talks about the significance of Netanyahu's visit.

Labor's Life or Death Fight: Wall Street's War On Unions in Trump Era Feb 06, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Liz Davis, president of the Washington Teachers Union; Jeff Bigelow, a long-time public sector union leader; and by Joe Jamison, who worked for many years at the New York State labor council, specializing in transportation union issues.
Wall Street and Corporate America’s war against labor unions is moving into high gear.As Donald Trump settles into office with a shocking series of executive orders, his allies in Congress are looking to strike a catastrophic blow at unions in the United States? GOP lawmakers have rolled out national “right to work” legislation, but don’t let the name be deceiving -- this is an anti-worker bill. How high are the stakes for the labor movement and for the fate of unionization?

Will Trump's War of Words Against Iran Lead to Real War? Feb 03, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Phil Wilayto from the Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran.
The Trump administration has ramped up its tough talk against Iran with the President saying Tehran has “officially been put on notice”. Iran has brushed aside Trump’s comments, but this bullying rhetoric from the United States could be a sign of greater aggression to come.
Controversy continues to rage as the British government publishes a white paper outlining what Brexit will look like. This comes one day after Parliament voted to grant Prime Minister Theresa May the power to trigger Article 50 to begin the process of leaving the EU. George Galloway, a former member of Parliament and prominent anti-war activist, speaks with Brian about what's next.
Bernie Sanders has addressed a rally of of the United Steelworkers called “Keep It Made in America”. How does Sanders’ outlook on the outsourcing of U.S. jobs differ from the positions of Trump? And what’s the real cause of the decline of industrial jobs in the United States? Ted Rall, editorial cartoonist and columnist, joins the show.

General Mattis to Asia: Asia Pivot With a Vengeance? Feb 02, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Will Griffin of the U.S.-based organization Stop THAAD in Korea and U.S. Militarism in Asia and & Pacific.
Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defence James Mattis has arrived in South Korea for his first trip abroad ahead of traveling to Japan tomorrow. Is this the Asia Pivot but with a vengeance?
The text of a new proposed constitution for Syria that was drafted by Russia has been released by Sputnik News. Can this controversial proposal serve as a roadmap for peace in Syria? Alaa Ebrahim, a Syria journalist based in Damascus, joins the show to discuss the importance of this draft and what the chances are of it leading to a resolution of the country's six year war.
Could the whole of California become a sanctuary state? Some Democrats in the state are proposing a rule that would stop police officers from working with federal immigration authorities to enforce Donald Trump’s executive order. Brian is joined by Kevin Akin of the Peace & Freedom Party and Gloria La Riva, the 2016 Presidential candidate of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, to speak about where the ongoing resistance in the state is heading.

New Supreme Court To Target Women, Labor, Immigrants, Voting Rights Feb 01, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined to by Anoa Changa, activist, lawyer and the host of the weekly radio show The Way With Anoa; Zachary Wolfe, lawyer, activist, and professor at George Washington University; and Eugene Puryear, host of Radio Sputnik’s By Any Means Necessary.
President Donald Trump has announced Neil Gorsuch as his pick for the vacant Supreme Court justice role. Who is Gorsuch, the judge expected to follow in the ultra right-wing footsteps of Antonin Scalia? What does Trump’s choice say about the direction his administration is heading in and what role Gorsuch can be expected to play in U.S. politics? Gorsuch’s relatively young age means that he will be an important figure in the U.S. government for decades to come.

U.S. Destroys Majority Muslim Countries, Now Tells Refugees "Stay Out!" Jan 31, 2017

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Raed Jarrar, Government Relations Manager at the American Friends Service Committee.
Protests continue to rage nationwide as tens of thousands descend on airports to rally against Donald Trump’s executive order establishing a moratorium on entrances into the United States by citizens of 7 majority-Muslim countries. But Trump is sticking by his deeply unpopular order despite global outrage.
Donald Trump spoke with King Salman of Saudi Arabia and pledged his support for so-called “safe zones” in Syria and Yemen. Trump criticized Hillary Clinton’s interventionist position on the Middle East during the campaign, but not it appears he is getting ready to implement her program. Daniel Lazare, journalist and author, discusses Trump's policy toward the Middle East.
Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time over the weekend in a phone call lasting an hour. Is a thaw in relations between the U.S. and Russia in the making, and what are the big issues? Mark Sleboda, international security and affairs analyst, joins the show.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Loud & Clear

Related Podcasts

1

2

3

4

5

6