Loud & Clear

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by journalist and author Stephen Gowans. While the U.S. government continues to ratchet up their rhetoric and war threats, the governments of North and South Korea have taken measures to de-escalate the situation. Will they succeed? 72 years ago today Japan announced that it would surrender, effectively ending the Second World War. Under what circumstances could such a catastrophic war happen? Peter Kuznick, Professor of History and Director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University, joins the show. Despite the Trump administration’s announcement that it would stop providing support to anti-government rebels, has the CIA really stopped backing armed groups in Syria? A militia once known as the New Syrian Army says they are in talks with the U.S.-led coalition. John Kiriakou, former CIA analyst, joins Brian.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Phil Wilayto and Tighe Barry, who were both at this past weekend's anti-white supremacist rally.Far-right violence on Saturday in Charlottesville was responsible for the death of a courageous anti-racist protester. Eyewitnesses to the 'Unite and Right' rally and counter-mobilization recall what took place.Is Donald Trump pushing a trade war with China? As he demands China’s ‘help’ with North Korea, the administration is ordering an investigation into what they call ‘unfair trade practices’ by China. David Ewing, chair of the San Francisco branch of the US-China People's Friendship Association, joins the show.Vice President Mike Pence has started a trip to Latin America following President Trump threat of US military intervention in Venezuela. Arnold August, lecturer, journalist and author, joins Brian to discuss the ongoing aggression toward Venezuela's government.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek fills in for Brian Becker and is joined by Paul Atwood, the author of “War and Empire: The American Way of Life”. Donald Trump continues to escalate aggression toward North Korea, saying that his ‘fire and fury’ comments were perhaps not ‘tough enough’ and refusing to rule out what he called a ‘preventive’ strike against the country. Charlottesville is bracing itself for a what is being called possibly the largest white supremacist rally in decades, but counter-protesters are promising to confront the bigots each step of the way. Phil Wilayto of the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality, joins the show. Donald Trump says he’s very close to deciding on a strategy for the U.S. war on Afghanistan, but a frustrated John McCain has released his own strategy that involve a major escalation of the war. Walter is joined by Jeremy Kuzmarov, professor of history at the University of Tulsa and author of Modernizing Repression: Police Training and

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek fills in for Brian Becker and is joined by journalist and filmmaker Dan Cohen.Is the era of Netanyahu approaching an end? Dramatic developments in the investigation into the Israeli Prime Minister for bribery, fraud and a breach of trust could signal the beginning of the end for his far-right government.Venezuela’s Foreign Minister has hit back at new U.S. sanctions targeting eight Venezuelan leaders, calling them “illegal and absurd”. The newly-elected Constituent Assembly is continuing to make rapid progress towards the restoration of peace in the country and the deepening of the Bolivarian Revolution. Carlos Ron, the Charges d’Affairs at the embassy of Venezuela, joins the show.The fallout continues after reports surfaced that the FBI conducted a pre-dawn raid on the home of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort last month, using a search warrant to seize documents deemed to be important to the so-called Russiagate investigation. Nationally synd

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek fills in Brian Becker and is joined by Alexander Mercouris, editor in chief of The Duran. A shocking new report has found that at least 10,000 people have died in Yemen in the past year due to the Saudi-led coalition’s closing of the country’s airspace, but the war continues despite the immense suffering.Today marks the ten year anniversary of the beginning of the financial crisis that rippled across the world and caused tremendous suffering and instability. A decade later, have the causes of the crisis been resolved, or could it happen again? Steve Keen, professor of economics at Kingston University, joins Walter. The day after Donald Trump threatened North Korea with ‘fire and fury’, tensions continue to escalate and the threat of war grows.Keith Bennett, China and Korea expert, joins Walter to discuss the latest developments.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek fills in for Brian Becker, and is joined by Gregory Elich of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea.Donald Trump is promising “fire and fury” in response to reports that North Korea has developed the ability to miniaturize a nuclear warhead so that it can be placed on a missile. North Korea is vowing to stay the course and fiercely defend its sovereignty. A senior war crimes prosecutor is resigning from a United Nations panel investigating human rights abuses in Syria, saying that now ‘everyone is bad.’ Meanwhile, forces aligned with the Syrian government are making progress against terrorist organizations on the battlefield. Alberto Garcia Watson, former senior Middle East correspondent for HispanTV, joins the show. As the Trump administration passes the 200 day mark, the increasingly embattled White House is struggling to maintain its core of support. Divisions within the Republican party are deepening along with dissatisfaction wit

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Lucas Koerner, a Venezuela-based activist and writer for VenezuelaAnalysis.com.Venezuela’s government has repelled an attack on a military base that was conducted by armed elements of the right wing opposition -- the latest bid to destabilize the country after the inauguration of the constituent assembly.Donald Trump has signaled his frustration with the situation in Afghanistan, where the brutal U.S.-led occupation is in its 16th year. A bitter divide within the administration and the growing influence of Washington’s opponents inside the country is further weakening the U.S. position. Brian Terrell, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence who has organized many solidarity trips to Afghanistan, joins the show.As new sanctions are enacted against North Korea for more missile tests, the United States is banning its citizens from traveling to the country beginning on September 1. Is this ban on American travel a signal that the US might

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Jim Kavanagh, editor of ThePolemicist.net.Robert Mueller, the special counsel looking into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, is assembling a grand jury. Will members of Trump’s inner circle ultimately face indictments?Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats gave a fiery press conference addressing recent leaks. Sessions suggested that the Department of Justice could demand journalists give up their sources or face jail time. Brian is joined by Bob Schlehuber, Spuntik news analyst, and by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of “The Plot to Scapegoat Russia: How the CIA and the Deep State Have Conspired to Vilify Putin”Venezuela’s constituent assembly has convened, but the right-wing opposition shows no signs of giving up on violent protests as the revolutionary government hits back at allegations of turnout manipulation. Brian is joined by Dr. James Cockroft, a f

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Juan Jose Gutierrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition. Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind a hardline anti-immigrant bill proposed in the Senate that would see the amount of people admitted to the United States halved in the next decade. What can be done to fight back against the Trump administration’s escalating war on immigrants?Donald Trump and and both parties in Congress seem intent on blowing up the Iran nuclear arms deal by imposing new sanctions on Iran. Iran has said that the latest U.S. sanctions that Donald Trump signed yesterday are meant to derail the nuclear deal. While Trump seems adamant on destroying it, at the summits of power in Washington opinion remains divided over whether or not to walk away from the deal. Brian is joined by Professor Mohammad Marandi to discuss what will happen next. Brazil’s President Michel Temer has survived a corruption vote in Congress that would have put him

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelaAnalysis.com, and by Dan Kovalik, an author and human rights lawyer.The results have been announced for Venezuela’s constituent assembly that was elected on Sunday and convenes tomorrow. The Constituent Assembly is convening despite threats from the United States and sanctions against President Maduro.Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the U.S. is not interested in regime change and seeks dialogue with North Korea if it gives up nuclear weapons, but Senator Lindsey Graham has called for the destruction of the country. This comes as the Senate’s top Democrat Chuck Schumer urges Trump to take a harder line against Chinese investments in the U.S. Patrick Lawrence, author and columnist, joins the show.The Trump administration’s attack on civil rights continues, as the Justice Department under Attorney General Jeff Sessions announces that it will use the power of the federal government to end aff

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by award-winning cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall.Is Trump’s new chief of staff John Kelly consolidating control in the White House? The rise of the Generals continues, but the administration is now dealing with new allegations relating to Trump’s personal involvement in Donald Trump Jr.’s initial response to the controversy around his meeting with a Russian lawyer.Vice President Mike Pence is on a tour where he is denouncing what he terms ‘Russian aggression’. He stopped in Georgia today after a visit to Estonia and ahead of a trip to Montenegro, an itinerary that highlights NATO’s march eastwards. Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins the show.China has officially opened its first ever overseas military base in Djibouti today. What will be the role of the base, and what does it say about the changing geopolitical landscape and China’s role in the world? Brian is joined by David Ewing, chair of the San Francisco chapter of the

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by analyst Mark Sleboda.Russia has responded to new U.S. sanctions that were almost unanimously passed by Congress by forcing the U.S. to cut most of its diplomatic staff in the country. US-Russia relations continue to spiral downward.Venezuela has voted in elections for a constituent assembly, with over 8 million people participating despite violence and threats from the right wing opposition. What’s next for the country’s Bolivarian revolution? Arnold August, lecturer and journalist, joins the show. The United States has said that the ‘time for talk is over’ after North Korea’s latest intercontinental ballistic missile test and the Moon Jae-in administration in the South considers expanding the deployment of the U.S. THAAD missile system. Simone Chun of the Korea Policy Institute joins Brian.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek fills in for Brian Becker and is joined by Carlos Ron, the Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of Venezuela in the United States. A deadly strike called by the Venezuelan right-wing opposition went ahead yesterday with at least four people killed, but is the corporate media once against misleading the world about the nature of events in the country?On a tumultuous day in Washington, tensions between special counsel Robert Mueller and the Trump administration heated up as Press Secretary Sean Spicer and the spokesman for Trump’s legal team resigned. Walter is joined by editorial cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall and Jim Kavanagh, editor of ThePolemicist.net.Mass protests are taking place today at the al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem as Israel further restricts the rights of Palestinians living under occupation and confrontation reaches a boiling point. Ben Norton, a journalist with AlterNet’s The GreyZone Project, joins the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Rick Sterling of the Syria Solidarity Movement. Donald Trump and the CIA have reportedly decided to end the covert arming of Syrian rebels. But were these forces ever really ‘moderate’ and does this really signal a major policy change of the U.S. government in Syria?Today marks six months since Donald Trump became the 45th President of the United States. We’ll look at how his first half year in office contrasts with his campaign promises, as well as freewheeling and strange interview with the NY Times this week. Anoa Changa, host of The Way With Anoa, and Brandon Sutton, host of The Discourse, join Brian. U.S. lawmakers have introduced legislation to make participation of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement in solidarity with Palestine a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. This is the latest in a long running campaign of repression against pro-Palestine activities in the United States. Miko Peled, author of the upcoming boo

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Peter Lavelle, host of RT's flagship show CrossTalk. Donald Trump has confirmed that he held a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin during dinner at the G20 Summit, but the media is once again in a frenzy about the so-called ‘secret’ meeting.The second round of Brexit talks concludes in Brussels tomorrow. Theresa May’s fragile government faces steep demands from the European Union, and some UK politicians are now calling for Brexit to be cancelled. Steve Hedley, the assistant general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union (RMT) joins Brian. Britain is set to spend billions of pounds on the new F-35 fighter jet, but is the purchase of the world’s most expensive war plane a massive waste of money? Defence Secretary Michael Fallon says the plane is the "most powerful and comprehensive" in history, but critics argue that the number of problems with the F-35 are immense. Pierre Sprey, one of the designers of the F

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Dan Kovalik, professor of International Human Rights at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and author of “The Plot to Scapegoat Russia: How the CIA and the Deep State Have Conspired to Vilify Russia.” While the Trump administration has conceded that Iran is complying with the nuclear deal, is also announced new sanctions against Tehran. Is the U.S.-Iran thaw that began in 2015 suffering a death by a thousand cuts?The push to pass the revised Senate healthcare bill has fizzled out as two more Republican senators announced their opposition. While the worst has been avoided for now, the U.S. healthcare system remains fundamentally broken. Dr. Margaret Flowers, co-director of Popular Resistance, joins the show, The Trump administration has issued a new document outlining its objectives for negotiations to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement -- NAFTA. Trump trashed NAFTA on the campaign trail, will he follow through on his promi

On today’s episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Francisco Dominguez, head of the Centre for Brazilian and Latin American Studies at Middlesex University. Venezuela’s right-wing opposition carried out an illegal referendum on Sunday while the government held a dry run for the upcoming constituent assembly election. The opposition vote included several questions -- including one to authorize a coup against President Nicolas Maduro, and now the opposition is planning a general strike in an effort to shut down the country on Thursday. Ahead of a high level diplomatic meeting in Washington, Russia has rejected any pre-conditions for the return of its diplomatic compounds that were seized in the last days of the Obama administration. Where are U.S.-Russia relations headed? Author and analyst Daniel Lazare joins Brian. Is French President Emmanuel Macron looking to exploit Britain’s departure from the European Union to weaken its financial sector? As negotiations resume this week, it’s France that

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Dan Kovalik, a labor and human rights lawyer and the author of ‘The Plot to Scapegoat Russia’.The mainstream media continues to keep the story about Trump Jr’s meeting with a Russia lawyer alive, now saying a former Soviet spy attended the meeting. Is this latest supposed revelation simply more smoke without fire?Opposition protests and violence continue in Venezuela, with the fugitive pilot who recently attacked the Supreme Court attending a rally and the UN calling on the government to recognize an unofficial referendum. But the government continues to be resilient ahead of the planned constituent assembly elections. Carlos Ron, the Charge d’Affairs at the embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Washington, D.C., joins the show.The Trump administration considered the prospect of using a private army in Afghanistan, proposing that the infamous Blackwater and other mercenary companies be given contracts rather than a troop surge. But

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Valeska Teixeira Martins, a lawyer for former President of Brazil, Lula da Silva.Former President of Brazil Lula da Silva was convicted of corruption yesterday and could face nearly ten years in prison -- but his legal team says that no evidence was produced and the charges were politically motivated. We’ll speak with one of his lawyers about the case and the coming appeal.Donald Trump is in Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of Bastille Day commemorations. The corporate media is emphasizing the stylistic differences between the two men, but they have at least one thing in common -- waging war on Syria. Brian is joined by Dr. Christopher Davidson, professor and the author of 'Shadow Wars: The Secret Struggle for the Middle East'.Senate Republicans have released a new version of their healthcare bill that will lead to millions losing their insurance. But with a slim Republican majority, the bill’s success remains very mu

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by activist and author James Cockroft. Lula da Silva, the founder of the Brazilian workers party and former President of Brazil, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on corruption charges. But is this one more right wing political effort to stop Lula from re-winning the presidency in 2018? Christopher Wray testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee today. While he was full of praise for the constitution, he wasn't challenged about his own record in violating the rights of protesters, dissenters and the Muslim community, or his own role in George W. Bush’s torture regime. Chip Gibbons, the Policy & Legislative Counsel for Defending Rights and Dissent, joins Brian to discuss. The fallout continues in the aftermath of the revelations that Donald Trump Jr. set up a meeting with a Russian lawyer during the campaign -- but is this really the smoking gun that shows collusion by the Trump team with Russia, or was the meeting of little to no