Loud & Clear

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mike Prysner, a veteran of the Iraq War who became a leading anti-war activist, and Cindy Sheehan, an anti-war activist and journalist whose son Casey was killed during the Iraq War.In our first hour, fifteen years ago yesterday, more than 10 million people around the world participated in mass demonstrations in opposition to the US decision to attack Iraq. It was the largest mass one day mass anti-war mobilization in history. All these years later, the US military is still in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it has armed troops in countless other countries around the world. The hosts take a look at militarism and war and the global forces that are trying to changing course.Then, we continue our weekly series “Criminal Injustice,” where we talk about the most egregious conduct of courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podca

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and columnist, and Gilbert Mercier, author and Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post.The death toll from yesterday’s shooting in a high school in Parkland Florida remains at 17, with three people still in critical condition. The shooting was emblematic of a larger problem of gun violence in the United States.South African President Jacob Zuma resigned yesterday under intense pressure from his own African National Congress party following accusations of corruption and bribery. ANC chairman Cyril Ramaphosa was immediately sworn in as president. In the hours before Zuma’s resignation, we spoke with Dr. Gerald Horne, an author and professor of history, about Zuma, the direction of the ANC, and South Africa’s political direction.The Russian Foreign Ministry said today that five Russian nationals were killed in a recent US airstrike in Syria. This is the first official recognition of an inc

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Andrew Patrick, media director of Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.Southern Florida was gripped by another mass shooting, again at a high school. Scores of people were shot in Broward County, Florida, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School this afternoon. The hosts discuss the school shooting as well as the phenomena of mass shootings and why this has become a regular feature of life in American society.Despite the hope for a bipartisan immigration measure in both houses of Congress, efforts there are already beginning to falter, mostly over questions of process. With President Trump demanding a deep cut in the number of immigrants allowed into the country, and a phasing out of the visa lottery, it will be an uphill battle to reform the system. Erika Almirón, executive director of the immigrant rights organization Juntos, Juan José Gutiérrez, executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, and Sundrop Carter, e

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of Code Pink, Ajit Singh, a writer and political analyst, and Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower.The Senate Intelligence Committee today will hear from the Director of National Intelligence and the Directors of the CIA, NSA, and FBI and others on the global threats facing the United States. Those threats haven’t changed much since last year. They include cyberattacks, Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and Syria. But for the first time, terrorism wasn’t at or near the top of the list.The hosts continue the weekly series looking at the economic issues of the day with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey. The three also examine President Trump’s proposed infrastructure bill.A judge in the UK today refused to cancel an arrest warrant for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, ruling that he could still be arrested by UK police if he leave

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 Lebanese Communist Party, and Dan Cohen, a journalist and filmmaker.An Israeli fighter jet was shot down in Syria over the weekend, after the Israeli Air Force attacked Syrian installations. That attack was in response to an Iranian drone crossing into Israeli airspace. By the time it was all over, six Syrians were dead and many more wounded.The hosts talk about North and South Korea and the attitude of the Trump Administration. Mike Pence went out of his way to demonstrate unhappiness with the possibility that peace could break out on the Korean Peninsula. The two Koreas marched under one flag at the Olympics and North Korea has invited South Korean President Moon Jae-in to visit Pyongyang for more talks. The Korean War began 68 years ago—might it finally be coming to a close? Patrick Lawrence, the author of “Time No Longer: Americans After the A

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist, Dr. Tim Beal, an author, researcher, and teacher whose most recent book is “Crisis in Korea,” and Professor Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network.The Winter Olympics opened yesterday in PyeongChang, South Korea in the shadow of difficult international politics. The sister of DPRK leader Kim Jong-un shook hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-In. She became the only member of the Kim family ever to visit South Korea. Meanwhile, Vice President Pence, representing the United States, sat three feet away and never acknowledged the North Koreans. The hosts discuss US policy in the face of improving relations between North and South Korea.In cities nationwide, longtime working-class city r

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dean Baker, the co-director of the Center for Economic Policy and Research.The stock market plunged again losing more than one thousand points at the same time as Congress raced to avert another government shutdown. Instability within the government and in the larger economy has become a hallmark of the crises looming in the United States.In this segment, “Underreported America,” the hosts look at some of the less widely covered stories from around the country. A few days ago, a livery driver in New York City committed suicide in front of City Hall, apparently as a result of his inability to make a living under current taxi and livery regulations. The hosts look at regulations and the advent of ride-sharing. Johnice Earle, a business agent with the Washington DC Taxicab Association, a part of Teamsters Local #922, and the President and Secretary of the DC Taxicab Association, join the show.Today is another installment of “Cri

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, and Dr. Peter Kuznick, a Professor of History and Director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University and the co-author with Oliver Stone of “The Untold History of the United States.”President Trump, who never served in the military, has ordered the Pentagon to plan a large-scale military parade similar to one he saw in France on Bastille Day. The press says he was “awestruck” by it. Opposition to the parade, which would cost between $20 million and $25 million, has been swift.The United Nations is warning that Gaza will run out of fuel in only 10 days, already causing hospitals to close. Meanwhile, an Israeli paper reported that Saudi Arabia granted overflight clearance to Air India’s new flight from Delhi to Tel Aviv, though Saudi Arabia is now denying it. And the Israeli government is preparing to expel as many as 40,000 African refugees. Ali Abu

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey and Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist.The stock market yesterday had its largest intraday point drop ever, despite strong economic data that was released last week. What accounts for this volatility? The hosts look at the underlying reasons.An internal audit of the Defense Logistics Agency by the Big Four accounting firm of Ernst & Young found that the Pentagon failed to keep track of nearly $800 million that it now cannot account for. The auditors said, across the board, the agency’s financial leadership is so weak that it is simply unable to account for its money. Lawrence Korb, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a senior adviser to the Center for Defense Information, and former Assistant Secretary of Defense during the Reagan Administration, joins the show.A British court has upheld an arrest warrant for W

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Greg Mello, the executive director of the Los Alamos Study Group, and Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear.The Trump Administration announced its Nuclear Posture Review, which calls for a major upgrade in the US nuclear arsenal, including more new nuclear weapons, and smaller tactical nukes that would be used on the battlefield. The policy is a violation of longstanding international agreements and could lead to a new arms race. Days after the release of the sco called Nunes memo the Democrats are insisting on the release of their memo, which might be considered a minority rebuttal, but it’s time to take a look at the big picture. What does this whole incident say about the FBI, its power, its capacity for abuse and misconduct, and the history of an organization that has played such a decisive role in American politics over many, many decades. Brian and John speak with Dave Lindorff,

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 by Kevin Zeese, he is the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance.The highly anticipated “Nunes memo” was released today, showing what appears to be serious abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to conduct surveillance on the Trump campaign during the 2016 election based solely on an opposition research dossier prepared by former British spy Christopher Steele. Today, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned Syria not to launch chemical weapons attacks on civilians, noting, “you’ve all seen how we reacted to that” ... and this “would be ill advised.” He added, though, that there is no evidence that any attack has been committed. Brian and John speak with Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement. As the stock market suffers heavy losses, Bitcoin is headed for its biggest wee

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, and Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of “The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”The battle between the FBI and the House Intelligence Committee continued to worsen yesterday, as FBI Director Christopher Wray said that the FBI has “grave concerns” about the release of the Nunes memo because of material omissions of fact. Meanwhile, Congressman Trey Gowdy, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee and the actual author of the Nunes memo, announced his retirement.Today the hosts continue the weekly series “Criminal Injustice,” highlighting the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. 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

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jodi Dean, a professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist.President Trump delivered his first state of the union address last night, setting an ambitious, but highly partisan—perhaps even divisive—agenda in his first State of the Union address. He took a hard line on immigration and North Korea, but then said he wanted to spend $1.5 trillion on infrastructure, although he didn’t say how he would pay for it, especially in light of recent massive tax cuts for corporations and the rich. The White House is saying that President Trump has not yet decided whether to release the Nunes memo, although he was overheard at the State of the Union last night saying that he would “100 percent release it.” Meanwhile, the plot thickens at the FBI, as its Inspector General is now investigating the actions of former director James Comey and deputy directo

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sue Udry, a peace and social justice activist and executive director of Defending Rights and Dissent, Benjamin Dixon, the editor in chief of the media platform Progressive Army and host of the Benjamin Dixon Show, and Kevin Zeese, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, join the show. President Trump will deliver his first State of the Union address tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Most observers expect him to talk about privatizing infrastructure and creating immigration policies that break families apart, and to take a victory lap on giveaways to the ultra-rich.The Treasury Department has released a list of 114 names of senior political officials at the Kremlin and every Russian oligarch with a net worth over $1 billion. The report appears to be an exercise in “naming and shaming” likely future sanctions targets. Meanwhile, CIA Director Michael Pompeo told the BBC that Russia will likely interfere in the 2018 midterm electio

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Heather Benno, the managing attorney at Esperanza Center, and Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.The hosts discuss Trump’s immigration proposal, which would end family immigration. Is it a poison pill that will get nowhere or will it be adopted, tearing families apart based on geography?The hosts analyze a new piece that alleges to have uncovered the source behind the McCarthyite PropOrNot website. Joe Lauria, a journalist, political commentator, and author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek join the show.The House Intelligence Committee is voting on whether or not to release the so-called Nunes Memo, which will likely allege an FBI conspiracy to take down the Trump presidency. Is it based on intelligence or on Republican fantasies? Meanwhile, FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe resigned today, prior to his scheduled March d

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, a journalist, political commentator, and author of the book, “How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton.”In a major new story, the New York Times reported today that President Trump decided last June to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller because his investigation had moved beyond Russia and collusion. White House Counsel Dan McGahn, however, said he would resign, and Trump backed off. Many observers say that firing Mueller would have led to a constitutional crisis.President Trump spoke in Davos, Switzerland, today at the World Economic Forum. He emphasized his “America First” policy, and also softened his previously strong anti-globalization stance that has earned him support from workers around the country. Patrick Lawrence, the author of “Time No Longer: Americans After the American Century” and a columnist at The Nation, joins the show.In the last 24 hours, Turkey has unleashed some aggressive threats against the United

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author, Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, and Randy Credico an activist, a comedian, and the former director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice.President Trump said last night, perhaps in an unguarded moment, that he was willing to speak under oath with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. The president’s attorneys quickly backtracked. Meanwhile, Mueller and his staff met last week with Attorney General Sessions, as the investigation seems to be turning more and more toward obstruction of justice and money laundering. Russia no longer seems to be in the mix.Today, Brian and John begin a new weekly segment that called “Criminal Injustice.” They will look at some of the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors, and at how justice is so routinely denied to so many Americans. In today’s segment, judges in the state of Oklahoma are sending people arrested on

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Ellsberg, one of the the most important whistleblowers in modern American history and the author of “The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner.”In his latest book, “The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner,” legendary Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg reveals shocking details of the U.S. nuclear weapons program of the 1950s and 1960s, including how responsibility for launching nuclear war was delegated to theater commanders during the Eisenhower and Kennedy Administrations. No other high-level insider has ever written so candidly about nuclear policy--and that policy hasn’t changed in more than a half century.Brian and John talk about the grave dangers posed by America’s aging nuclear power plants in a 30-minute excerpt from an interview with nuclear experts. Greg Mello, the executive director of the Los Alamos Study Group, and Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog a

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daoud Kuttab, an award-winning Palestinian journalist, and Ambassador Manuel Hassassian, the Palestinian Ambassador to the UK.Vice President Mike Pence’s speech to the Israeli Knesset yesterday was met with both standing ovations and physical scuffles, as Arab members were evicted for protesting the US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem. Meanwhile, the New York Times Sunday Magazine has an article that strongly suggests that then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat to be assassinated in 2004.Did you know that Donald Trump’s father started off building affordable housing? That Donald Trump may be descended from a serial killer? Did you know that Trump is the first president to have children by three different women? Or that his children have never been permitted to have pets? Ruth Ann Monti, the author of a terrifically entertaining new book called “Donald Trump in 100 Facts,” joins the

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Angie Kim, an immigrant rights advocate and community organizer with the MinKwon Center for Community Action, and Kevin Zeese, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance.Democrats and Republicans in the Senate have come to an agreement to end the government shutdown, which had entered its third day. The Democrats are declaring victory because they received the promise of a vote in February on DACA. But is this really a Democratic loss?Turkish forces have captured the Syrian city of Afrin on the third day of an offensive to oust Syrian Kurdish fighters from the border. Mark Sleboda, an international Affairs and Security Analyst, and Marwa Osman, independent political analyst, join the show.The NSA has deleted surveillance data and the FBI deleted text messages between two FBI employees criticizing President Trump that a judge ordered them to preserve. NSA said disingenuously that it didn’t have the storage space to hold the data