Loud & Clear

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Palestinian rights activist Arab Barghouti, son of imprisoned activist Marwan Barghouti; Dan Cohen, whose new film is “Killing Gaza;” Richard Becker, author of the book “Palestine, Israel, and the US Empire,” and Bob Schlehuber, the producer of By Any Means Necessary.At least 52 Palestinians were killed today and more than 2,400 wounded as Israeli soldiers opened fire on demonstrators in the Gaza Strip. The violence came as the US opened its embassy in Jerusalem today, a move which has infuriated Palestinians. Firebrand nationalist Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s party took a surprise lead in Iraqi elections today, making him the kingmaker in the decision to choose a new Prime Minister. Sadr has led two uprisings against the US in Iraq and is seen as an enemy of both the United States and Iran. Mojtaba Masood, an Iraqi journalist and a filmmaker whose films include “Islamophobia: Cause & Effect” and “ISIS: Islamic Extremis

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of “The Plot to Attack Iran” and Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist. It’s been a big week of news, and today the hosts go back and review the biggest stories this week, including the burgeoning war on Iran, the upcoming US-DPRK summit, the hearing on Gina Haspel, and the recent news that early on in the Trump administration, companies paid his personal lawyer for access to the president. On today’s regular Friday segment covering the upcoming midterm elections, Brian and John examine the results from this week’s primaries and take a look at the overall direction of the midterms. Jacqueline Luqman and Abdus Luqman, the co-editors-in-chief of Luqman Nation, join the show. Parliamentary elections will take place in Iraq tomorrow, and that will serve as the basis for the next government. The race this year is splintered by intra-sectarian di

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mark Sleboda, an international Affairs and Security Analyst, and Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement.Syria responded to Tuesday’s Israeli missile strikes with missiles of their own today, firing at least 20 targets in Golan Heights, the Syrian territory that Israel seized in 1967. Israel then attacked almost all Iranian infrastructure in Syria. Germany, France, and Russia have called on both sides to exercise restraint, but Middle East observers say this is just the beginning of what could be major hostilities between Iran and Israel. On the regular Thursday series “Criminal Injustice,” about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country, the hosts discuss how to organize a prison strike. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the f

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Chip Gibbons, policy and legislative counsel for Defending Rights & Dissent and a journalist, who has contributed to The Nation, Jacobin, and the book “The Henry Kissinger Files.” Gina Haspel appeared in open session before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence today in her much-anticipated confirmation hearing. Haspel said that on her watch, the CIA will not reinstate a detention and interrogation program, and also noted that she has a strong moral compass. She did not express any regret for her role in the George W. Bush Administration’s torture program, despite being asked.Wednesday is Loud & Clear’s regular segment Beyond Nuclear, looking at nuclear issues including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today, the hosts concentrate on fallout from Trump leaving the Iran deal. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Nicol

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist, an analyst specializing in U.S. national security policy, and the author of “Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare.” In dramatic fashion, Donald Trump took to the airwaves to announce that the US was leaving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran Nuclear Arms Deal. Trump had been signaling his decision for many months. The speech was filled with bellicose and threatening language. What comes next? Is the Trump administration gearing up for military conflict and another war in the Middle East? Tuesday’s weekly series “False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey” continues looking at the top economic issues of the day, today focusing what unemployment numbers really mean and how the price of oil is affecting geopolitics. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show. Senate c

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, and Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net. Presidential attorney and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani got himself deeper into trouble over the weekend, challenging the narrative of the president’s other attorneys on the Stormy Daniels affair, the Mueller investigation, and anything else that happened to pop into his mind. Also, one of the defendants named in the Mueller indictment of Russian entities for alleged interference in the 2016 election surprised the Mueller team by actually appearing in court Friday, announcing that it will plead not guilty, wants many documents from the prosecution in discovery, and asked for a speedy trial. A judge rejected Mueller’s pleas for delay. This is a surprising twist in the Russiagate story.President Trump will announce tomorrow afternoon whether the United States is pulling out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of A

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou and Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek (sitting in for Brian Becker) are joined by Coleen Rowley, a former FBI agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year, and Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the soon to be released book “The Plot to Attack Iran.”NBC News yesterday broke a story that the FBI has been monitoring the phones, email, and text messages of President Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen and that the monitoring began months before the press ever got wind that Cohen was the subject of any investigation. Civil libertarians are decrying what appears to be the blatant and wanton disregard of attorney-client privilege. Economic and political turmoil continue in Venezuela ahead of the crucial May 20th presidential election, but the causes and consequences are misrepresented in the mainstream U.S. media. The hosts are pleased to be joined by two Venezuelan human rights activists to help us separate

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Alex Friedmann, the Associate Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and managing editor of Prison Legal News. On the regular Thursday series “Criminal Injustice,” about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country, the hosts discuss a new bipartisan bill in Congress that would expand the president’s ability to detain American citizens without a trial, and why “police union” is a misnomer.For Loud & Clear’s regular weekly segment covering the upcoming midterm elections, Brian and John take a look at Senate races nationwide. Jacqueline Luqman and Abdus Luqman, the co-editors-in-chief of Luqman Nation, join the show. Iowa’s state legislature yesterday passed the most extreme abortion ban in the country, eliminating women’s right to carry a child pas

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of The Frozen Republic, The Velvet Coup, and America's Undeclared War, and Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist.The Washington Post is reporting today that, in a tense meeting in March between Special Counsel Robert Mueller and President Trump’s attorneys, Mueller threatened to subpoena the president if he refused to answer questions related to the Russia investigation. That news broke just hours before it was confirmed that Ty Cobb, a key White House lawyer, was retiring. Meanwhile, Congressional Republicans are threatening to draw up articles of impeachment against Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein because of the scope of the Mueller investigation. And Republican strategist Michael Caputo told the Senate Intelligence Committee that he hoped God would “damn you all to hell” because of the financial toll the investigation has taken on him in the form of atto

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jana Nakhal, an independent researcher and a member of the central committee of the Lebanese Communist Party, and Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.In a theatrical presentation yesterday, Prime Minister Netanyahu claimed to have secured intelligence showing that Iran was secretly continuing elements of a nuclear weapons program. Is this part of a coordinated drive to war as tensions across the Middle East reach a boiling point? Tuesday’s weekly series “False Profits -- A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey” continues looking at the top economic issues of the day, today focusing on T-Mobile and Sprint’s potential merger and foreign investors losing interest in US debt. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show. The first group of migrants in a much publicized caravan from Central America came across the border near Tijuana last night. Celebratio

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of Code Pink and author of the book “Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the U.S.-Saudi Connection,” and journalist and independent political analyst Marwa Osman.Israeli Prime Minister made a speech today arguing that Iran is in violation of the nuclear arms deal as Trump prepares for a possible end of compliance with the agreement. Israel carried out major military strikes against Iranians in Syria. The bombing was so big that it created an earthquake. Brian and John also talk about Pompeo’s trips to Saudi Arabia and Israel this weekend. The danger of war with Iran is growing. The hosts discuss, “Finks: How the CIA Tricked the World’s Best Writers” with author Joel Whitney. It describes a situation that almost no Americans know about. In the early days of the Cold War, the CIA clandestinely recruited some of the greatest writers in the world--household names—to spy for them. They talk to the author a

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Gregory Elich, a member of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea and the author of, “Strange Liberators: Militarism, Mayhem, and the Pursuit of Profit,” and author and professor Tim Beal whose most recent book is “Crisis in Korea.” In one of the most important diplomatic breakthroughs in a generation, the leaders of North and South Korea met yesterday and pledged to denuclearize the peninsula and to formally end the Korean War. Even the most optimistic observers were surprised at the scope of the meeting, which took place on the South Korean side of the border at Panmunjom. President Trump later issued a statement saying that he was looking forward to meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the coming weeks or months. On today’s regular Friday segment covering the upcoming midterm elections, Brian and John take a look at a series of upcoming special elections, a Republican win in Arizona, and the p

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kani Xulam, founder of the American-Kurdish Information Network, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek.Since the end of March, the Turkish military has quietly been building outposts inside Iraqi territory to attack the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, in the nearby Qandil Mountains. The move is, of course, a violation of Iraqi sovereignty. And it points to Turkey’s obsession with fighting Kurds no matter where they are. The weekly series “Criminal Injustice” continues, where the hosts discuss the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country, including the systematic abuse of prisoners across the system. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News, join the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Heather Benno, an immigrant rights activist and attorney, and Angie Kim, the Community Engagement & Advocacy Coordinator for the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium.In a major blow to the Trump Administration’s immigration policy, another federal judge has ruled that attempts to end the popular Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, are illegal. However, the judge gave the Administration 90 days to appeal the decision. Meanwhile, the travel ban finally reaches the Supreme Court today. All three versions of the travel ban have been ruled unconstitutional at every level of the federal courts. Now it’s the Supreme Court’s turn to weigh in. Wednesday is the regular segment looking at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today, they discuss the pushback on a proposed new nuclear waste facility in New Mexico (submi

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist, and the author of “Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare,” and Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.French President Emmanuel Macron today held meetings with President Trump at the White House. Discussions focused on Iran and Syria. Trump is taking a hard line on the former, and Macron on the latter. The two also will discuss trade and counterterrorism today. Tuesday’s weekly series continues looking at the top economic issues of the day, today focusing on Wells Fargo’s criminal business practices, AT&T and Verizon’s potentially criminal business practices, pay-for-quick-service emergency rooms, and new Facebook and Google privacy regulations that may hinder smaller companies. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show. The US media have taken a tough pos

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jude Woodward, the author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?” and Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Trump’s Déjà vu China Trade War” in the World Review of Political Economy. The US Department of Commerce last week banned the Chinese major telecom equipment maker ZTE Corporation for seven years. This huge company might be brought down entirely by this US sanction. This comes a year after it was originally sanctioned for selling equipment to North Korea, in violation of United Nations sanctions. But there is another issue at play here: the issue of sanctions as an economic weapon.French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in Washington today for meetings with President Trump and other US leaders to discuss Iran, trade, climate change, Russia, North Korea, and terrorism. The visit comes on the heels of a joint US/French/British attack on Syria and it

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of “The Plot to Scapegoat Russia” and Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net. It’s Friday and it’s been a big week of news. Just today, the DNC announced they’re suing Trump, WikiLeaks, and the entire country of Russia, memos were released from James Comey that depict interactions with Trump, and the inspector general’s report on McCabe has been sent to the U.S. Attorney for potential criminal charges. In Friday’s regular update on elections, the competition to be the next Speaker of the House and Senator from California has been intense, but on one thing Congress seems to mostly agree—war against Syria. Jacqueline Luqman and Abdus Luqman, the co-editors-in-chief of Luqman Nation, join the show. All around the world, whistleblowers who expose the misdeeds of the rich and powerful are persecuted, but many countries have also adopted legislation to offer the

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by Arnold August, a lecturer, journalist, and author of the book “Cuba and the US in the Age of Trump,” and Gloria La Riva, the director of the Cuba and Venezuela Solidarity Committee. Miguel Diaz Canal has been elected by the National Assembly to be the new President of Cuba. As the country embarks on a historic leadership transition as Raul Castro steps down, what does the future hold for Cuba and its socialist system?The weekly series “Criminal Injustice” continues, where the hosts discuss the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country, including the murder by NYPD of Saheed Vassell, a man known by cops and the community to be mentally ill. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News an

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by Dr. Christine Hong, Associate Professor of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies at UC Santa Cruz and a member of the Korea Policy Institute, and Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network.A minister in the government of South Korean has confirmed that a peace treaty with the North is on the agenda for the summit between Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un set for April 27. What would this historic step mean for the future of the Korean peninsula? Wednesday is the regular segment looking at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today, they address weather like mid-April snowstorms and cold snaps damaging nuclear reactors, a new campaign to press the US to commit not to use nuclear weapons, and increasing pressure against a nuclear bailout in the PJM area. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of “The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” and Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net.Despite Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley’s announcement there would be additional sanctions on Russia, Trump pulled back yesterday. Whether a misstep by Haley or indecision by Trump, the office is clearly unorganized. Tuesday’s weekly series continues, looking at the top economic issues of the day, focusing on banks being the biggest beneficiary of Trump’s tax bill, with Bank of America noting this week that its effective tax rate is now nine points lower. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is visiting Trump at Mar-a-Lago today. Both leaders are dealing with scandals, and Abe’s approval ratings are in the 30s and even 20s according to one poll. How will this visit affect the Trans Pacific Partnership, high