Loud & Clear

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek (filling in for John Kiriakou) are joined by Jim Kavanagh, editor of thepolemicist.net and whistleblower and activist Coleen Rowley. The hosts continue our weekly segment In the News, where we look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Today we’ll be focusing on Attorney General Barr’s testimony to Congress and his comments on FBI spying on the Trump campaign. The hosts continue our regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, where we look at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show. A high stakes summit of European Union leaders is underway in Brussels just two days ahead of the deadline for the UK to exit the bloc. With no agreement in sight, the leaders are considering a so-called flexible extension that would push the deadline back up to

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by ed Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist. Attorney General William Barr told a House subcommittee today that the Mueller Report will be released within the week, although portions will be redacted. He added that he would explain the redactions line by line with lawmakers. Meanwhile, Republican Congressman Devin Nunes announced that he will send eight criminal referrals to the Justice Department, accusing unnamed people of lying to Congress, misleading Congress, and leaking classified information. Thousands of people continued to flee war-torn Tripoli, Libya today as forces loyal to rebel General Khalifa Haftar bombed the country’s only functioning airport. There were no casualties, but all flights have been cancelled and all passengers evacuated. Here in Washington, President Trump met with Egyption leader Abd al-Aziz al-Sisi over lunch to discuss Libya, security, and the Egyptian economy. A White Ho

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Pedro Rios, Director of the American Friends Service Committee’s U.S./Mexico Border Program.Kirsten Nielsen, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, resigned yesterday after a meeting with President Trump. The move came amid reports of Trump’s unhappiness over Nielsen’s inability to close ports of entry along the southern border and to stop accepting asylum seekers. Critics of the administration fear that this is a precursor to an intensification of anti-immigrant policies in the run up to the 2020 election Libya sank deeper into chaos over the weekend, with more than 2800 people fleeing fighting in Tripoli, according to the United Nations. Forces under General Khalifa Haftar are approaching the city, and seeking to wrest control of the country from UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj. Libya has been wracked by violence since the US-led NATO attack on the country that resulted in the death of Muammar al-Qadd

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the possibility of Julian Assange being expelled from his safety in the embassy, the NATO summit this week, Boeing’s acknowledgement that they fully knew about the problems that killed hundreds, and the House vote to end the aid for the war in Yemen. Wikileaks tweeted last night that a high level source in the Ecuadorian government confirmed that Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange would be expelled from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London “within hours or days” and that it already has an agreement with the UK for his arrest. Assange likely would be extradited to the United States. Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, the author of the book "How I Lost, B

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek (filling in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”The New York Times and Washington Post had blaring headlines today that Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigators believed the Mueller report was more damaging than Attorney General William Barr had let on. But that was not supported by the substance of the articles. And there was no additional evidence that President Trump had committed any crime. The family of an American citizen killed in the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max-8 is now suing Boeing in federal court in Chicago. The suit is only one of nearly a dozen against Boeing, in addition to a Justice Department criminal investigation. Dr. Alan Diehl, an award-winning aviation psychologist and safety consultant, a major air safety whistleblower, and the author of the book “Air Safety Investigato

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Matthew Hoh, who resigned in 2009 from the State Department over the American escalation of the war in Afghanistan, and was a marine in the US occupation of Iraq prior. He is a winner of the Ridenhour Prize Recipient for Truth Telling.NATO foreign ministers are meeting in Washington this week to mark the 70th anniversary of the alliance’s creation. The agenda also includes NATO relations with Russia, the fight against terrorism, NATO expansion, and military spending. A number of peace groups are planning demonstrations opposing the meeting, and one major event is planned for tomorrow here in Washington. Federal Aviation Administration whistleblowers told the Senate Commerce Committee yesterday that safety inspectors at the FAA, including those involved in approving use of the Boeing 737-Max8, lacked proper training and certifications. The Republican-controlled Senate committee has launched a formal investigation into why two

According to a new report, a top aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked lobbyists in a private meeting to raise public doubts about Medicare For All, saying that the progressive program would detract from Democrats’ agenda. In a 5-4 vote yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled that there is no constitutional guarantee that an execution must be painless, saying that a Missouri prisoner may be executed despite having a rare condition that could cause him to suffocate. Trump appointee Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion, which was joined by President Trump’s second Supreme Court pick, Brett Kavanagh. Stephen Bright, a professor at Yale Law School and the former Director of the Southern Center for Human Rights, joins the show. UK Prime MInister Theresa May held a marathon cabinet meeting today to discuss the ongoing crisis around the country’s departure from the European Union and announced that she would be seeking an extension to the “Article 50” deadline. This comes one day after UK lawmakers failed again to

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at rall.com.In the week since it was released, politicians and journalists have changed their narrative about the Mueller report, saying that its criminal findings are being suppressed and that Attorney General William Barr is part of a pro-Russia conspiracy. House Democrats will prepare subpoenas this week seeking Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s full, unredacted report. Former Vice President Joe Biden is facing a crisis in his not-yet-launched presidential campaign as Lucy Flores, a Democratic politician from Nevada, says Biden once sniffed her hair and kissed the back of her head. Biden says that he has no memory of the incident, but other senior Democrats are demanding that he explain himself and apologize. Biden said only that he doesn’t believe that he ever acted inappropriately with Flores, but has a long-standing reputation of inappropriate be

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plan was voted down by Parliament today for the third time, bringing the country even closer to a “no deal” departure from the European Union. In response to the 344-286 vote defeat, the European Council has called for an emergency summit to be held just two days before the April 12 Brexit deadline. The US and UK have been adamant that Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei works as a front for Chinese intelligence. The company, of course denies that and appears to be weathering the storm -- Huawei just announced record profits. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping recently wrapped up a tour of Europe aimed at improving relations in the wake of the EU’s declaration that China was a “strategic competitor” to the bloc. Jude Woodward, the author of the book “The US vs China: Asi

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff is on the hot seat. Schiff has been one of the leading voices in government pushing the narrative of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. Following completion of the Mueller report, he doubled down, saying that he has seen definitive proof of collusion. Meanwhile, Senator Rand Paul said yesterday that former CIA director John Brennan, who has been repeating Schiff’s talking points, should be subpoenaed to answer for his role in the dissemination of the Steele Dossier. Acting FAA Administrator Dan Elwell told Congress today that the FAA will enact major changes in its oversight of US airlines in the aftermath of the crashes of two Boeing 737 Max-8 aircraft in the past five months that resulted in the deaths of nearly 400 people. Still, Elw

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by producer Walter Smolarek and Steve Hedley, the senior assistant general secretary of the the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union.Developments in the UK parliament are moving fast as the government of Prime Minister Theresa May makes a last ditch attempt to save her Brexit deal, and a wide range of alternative plans are considered. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is pushing for a second referendum on Brexit, and May has offered to resign in return for securing the support of skeptical MPs in the much-anticipated “meaningful vote” likely to be held this week. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the American Israel Political Action Committee, or AIPAC, conference by video feed yesterday where he joined in on the attack on Representative Ilhan Omar and the growing sentiment opposing the Israeli government’s policies. Meanwhile, Syria requested an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting to

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Max Blumenthal, a bestselling author and journalist, whose latest film is “Killing Gaza,” the senior editor of Grayzone Project and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels.”Proponents of the Russiagate conspiracy are scrambling to salvage their reputation in the wake of the conclusion of Robert Mueller’s probe that found no evidence of collusion during the 2016 election. Meanwhile, attorney and frequent Trump critic Michael Avenatti was arrested yesterday and charged with multiple felonies related to an alleged attempt to extort at least $20 million from Nike. British Prime Minister Theresa May was dealt yet another blow yesterday as parliament seized control of the decision making process as Brexit goes down to the wire. Will her government fall? Will the much-dreaded “no deal” scenario come to pass? Eugene Puryear, the host of Radio Sputnik’s By Any Means Necessary, which you can listen to Monday through Friday from 2:00-4:

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year, Gareth Porter, a historian and investigative journalist, and Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com.Special Counsel Robert Mueller has completed his investigation into alleged collusion between the Russian government and the Trump campaign and has found no evidence of wrongdoing. The final report is with Attorney General William Barr and is on its way to Congress. Mueller’s finding of no collusion and no criminality on the part of the president has Democrats reeling and calling for new Congressional investigations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Trump in Washington today for a ceremony in which the U.S. formally recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan region of Syria. The visit is being cut short, however, because a rocket fired from Gaza hit

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek (sitting in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook.Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the presidential race in 2020 and the Democratic primary, the president weighing in on the Golan region of Syria, and the floods in Southeastern Africa as a result of Cyclone Idai. President Trump yesterday announced that the US would recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, reversing 52 years of US policy and infuriating friends and foes alike in the Middle East. Israel has occupied the Syrian territory since the 1967 war. Ariel Gold, a peace activist and the national co-director of Code Pink, joins the show. Brazil’s former president, Michel Temer, was arrested yesterday in Sao Paulo and charge

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell (sitting in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Loud & Clear co-host UK Prime Minister Theresa May is in Brussels to press European Union leaders to agree to an extension of the Brexit negotiating period. But EU officials appear to be taking a hardline, and have just published a set of planned measures that would be taken in the event of a no-deal scenario. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is wrapping up a tour of the Middle East with a trip to Lebanon, focusing on stepping up pressure on Iran as the Trump administration seeks regime change in that country, and allegedly bolstering support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of a tight election next month. Jana Nakhal, an independent researcher and a member of the central committee of the Lebanese Communist Party, joins the show.Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their f

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek (sitting in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star. British Prime Minister Theresa May is asking the European Union for a delay until June 30 for the UK to complete its withdrawal from the Union. An EU spokesman warned, however, that a delay beyond the May 23 European Parliament elections was probably impossible. Former George W. Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer took to Twitter yesterday to commemorate the 16th anniversary of the start of the Iraq war and to try to dispel the common belief that the Bush Administration lied about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction as a cause for the war. Fleischer instead set off a debate about intelligence support for the war, intelligence failures, and the politicization of analysis as the world mourned the deaths of the hundreds of thousands who lost their lives as a consequence of the 2003 U.S. inva

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by João Rodríguez, a Brazilian activist who is currently a doctoral candidate in sociology at the University of Pennsylvania.Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro arrived in Washington yesterday in his first foreign visit since being elected and he went almost immediately to CIA headquarters for consultations. He was accompanied by his son and by Brazil’s Minister of Justice, who has long been accused of having ties to the CIA. Today, he went to the White House to meet with President Trump. Special Counsel Robert Mueller revealed today that he had sought search warrants for Trump attorney Michael Cohen’s records in July 2017, far earlier than previously revealed. His investigators went through those records before referring them to prosecutors in the Southern District of New York. Meanwhile, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced that he would be staying in his role longer than expected, and anticipation builds over the

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com.Despite facing sharp criticism for his lack of specific policy positions, former Texas Congressman Robert “Beto” O’Rourke raised $6.1 million dollars in just 24 hours after announcing his run for the presidency, more than any of the other Democratic 2020 hopefuls. Meanwhile New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced her candidacy for president over the weekend, while former Vice President Joe Biden accidentally did the same thing before backing off and delaying an official announcement. Yellow Vest protesters in France held demonstrations for the 18th consecutive weekend as clashes and police repression intensifies. French President Emmanuel Macron has steadfastly refused to change his economic policies. Gilbert Mercier, Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” joins the show. Representatives of

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the Islamophobic white nationalist shooting at two mosques in New Zealand, where at least 49 people were killed, the ongoing coup attempt in Venezuela, and several of the candidates in the 2020 race. A gunman attacked two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand yesterday, killing at least 49 people and wounding dozens. The victims included women and children. The attacker left a 73-page manifesto at the scene of the first mosque identifying himself as a 28-year-old Australian white supremacist. He has been arrested. Daryle

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Robert Griffiths, an organizer for the left campaign in support of Brexit during the 2016 referendum and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain, and Walter Smolarek, Sputnik News analyst and one of the producers of this show.The British Parliament voted today to support an extension of the Brexit process. Prime Minister Theresa May appears to have further lost control of the situation, as the future of her government remains very much in doubt. The US Senate yesterday voted again to end American military assistance to Saudi Arabia for its war in Yemen, rebuking President Trump and expressing discontent for his refusal to press the Saudis over the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The vote was 54-46, mostly along party lines, not enough to override a presidential veto. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show. President Trump yesterday ordered the grounding of