Loud & Clear

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Trina Realmuto, an attorney with the National Lawyers Guild’s National Immigration Project.Once again, the administration’s travel ban targeting majority-Muslim countries has been defeated in court, and Donald Trump is furious.Is ISIS about to be defeated in Iraq? As U.S.-backed forces make a final push on Mosul, the humanitarian situation is catastrophic with more than 100,000 people displaced. Alberto Garcia Watson, a journalist and former senior Middle East correspondent for HispanTV, joins the show.The Trump administration’s budget outline proposes devastating cuts -- If they get their way, the burden of the huge Pentagon boost will fall squarely on the back of the poor and working class. Anoa Changa, editor at large with the Progressive Army and host of the weekly radio show The Way With Anoa, discuses this with Brian.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Eugene Puryear, host of Radio Sputnik's By Any Means Necessary, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek.The Netherlands voted yesterday in an election that was a test of how widespread both anti-immigrant and anti-EU sentiment has become. But the far right wing party failed in its effort to win the election. What will this mean for the EU and for Europe?U.S. attack drones are headed to South Korea on the heels of a massive simulated invasion of the North. Will the Trump administration pursue an even more hostile policy towards North Korea, or will political developments in the South make that impossible? Will Griffin, a member of a U.S. based task force to Stop THAAD in Korea and U.S. Militarism in Asia and & Pacific, joins Brian. The federal government’s power to borrow money to pay its bills expires today as the Senate’s majority leader says the debt ceiling will definitely be increased but has not said when. Will Trump also support the

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by political commentator and analyst Marwa Osman. With the opposition set to boycott the latest round of Astana peace talks, is a negotiated settlement to the Syrian war slipping out of reach? We are just hours away from President Trump’s new travel ban executive order targeting six majority-Muslim countries. But grassroots activists and lawyers are fighting back. Jorge Baron, the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project’s Executive Director, joins Brian.Secretary of State Rex Tillerson begins his tour of Asia today with a visit to Japan as the region reels from heightened tension and U.S. belligerence. Patrick Lawrence, columnist and author, joins the show to discuss what's next for the continued pivot to Asia.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by John Wight, host of Radio Sputnik's "Hard Facts"British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to trigger Article 50 today as the Scottish First Minister announces her intention to organize another independence referendum. As Britain steps into the unknown, what’s next for the country and the EU? A deepening diplomatic crisis between Turkey and several European governments, including the Netherlands, continues. As rallies are banned and accusations of Nazism fly, how far will this escalate? Walter Smolarek, producer of Loud & Clear, joins the show.South Korean politics and the geopolitics of East Asia has been scrambled by the impeachment of ex-President Park Geun-hye. Will the next president pursue a thaw in relations with the North? Brian is joined by Hyun Lee, a member of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by John Kiriakou, former CIA analyst and case officer as well as a prominent whistleblower; and by Ben Norton, who is a contributor to AlterNet’s GrayZone Project.Last week, Wikileaks released the largest disclosure of CIA secrets ever. Although Donald Trump once said he loved Wikileaks, the White House was quick to attack the release of CIA secrets. Today, we take a big-picture look at leaks. Why are successive administrations so intent on persecuting whistleblowers? Is there anything Trump can do to stop them? And how do leaks help the people hold the government accountable?

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by political commentator and author Catherine Shakdam.Hundreds of Marines equipped with artillery will soon be deployed to northern Syria. This latest escalation of the U.S. intervention comes shortly after Defense Secretary Mattis submitted a new strategy to President Trump that ostensibly is aimed at fighting ISIS.The long and treacherous road to Britain’s exit from the European Union has gotten even more complicated following a maneuver by the unelected House of Lords. Brian is joined by legendary British Parliamentarian George Galloway.Ukraine is taking Russia to court. Despite all the hysteria about Trump and Russia, will his administration follow effectively the same path of anti-Russia aggression in Ukraine? Mark Sleboda, international affairs and security analyst, discusses a range of issues.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by political analyst and journalist Dmitry Babich. Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet with Turkey’s President Erdogan in Moscow over the next two days. Although ties were re-established last year after a period of deep tension, do Moscow and Ankara see eye to eye on key issues such as Syria? Leaders of the European Union are gathering for a summit that will debate the future of the bloc. The summit is also expected to attack the protectionist policies of Donald Trump. Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins the show to discuss the importance of the summit. As the U.S. and South Korean militaries stage massive simulated invasions of the North, China has floated a diplomatic proposal to decrease tensions. Activist and political analyst Hyun Lee, joins Brian.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by attorney and author John Whitehead.Wikileaks has released the largest ever leak of documents from the CIA - a batch of thousands of documents code-named Vault 7. It shows that the agency has the ability to hack into virtually all popular encryption apps. Is there nowhere to hide from illegal govt spying?Republicans have released their plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. Are they gearing up to try to pass through an even bigger giveaway to the insurance companies? Brian is joined by Dr. Margaret Flowers, co-director of Popular Resistance.Today International Women’s Day is being marked around the world, including in many countries where it’s a national holiday. Here in the United States, organizers are planning a “Day Without Women” strike aimed at the Trump administration’s policies. Jodi Dean, professor and author, joins the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by legendary NSA whistleblower William Binney. President Trump has ordered an investigation into alleged Watergate style-wiretapping he says was committed by the Obama administration during the presidential election. Is there merit to the accusations? The Trump administration has issued a new travel ban executive order to replace the earlier order that was defeated by a combination of grassroots and legal struggle. But will this one also be struck down? Trina Realmuto, an attorney with the National Lawyers Guild’s National Immigration Project, joins the show.China’s National People’s Congress opened over the weekend with discussion expected on economic growth as well as how the country will deal with the aggressive policy of the United States under President Trump. China expert Keith Bennett discusses the importance of the Congress.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Daniel Sankey, a financial policy analyst, and by Professor Steve Keen of Kingston University. Nearly ten years on from the Great Recession, we take a look at the state of the economy. As the Trump administration’s plans start to take form, how will his proposed policies such as deregulation, a border tax, domestic tax reform and infrastructure spending affect the economy? Will his protectionist policies lead to global trade contracting? And with the Dow crossing 21,000, is the stock market in a bubble?

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Don DeBar, host of Community Progressive Radio, and Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran. The anti-Russia witch hunt continues as Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself from the Justice Department investigation into Russian influence and faces calls for his resignation -- not for his record of extreme racism, but because of a routine meeting with the Russian ambassador to the United States.Donald Trump spoke yesterday in the USS Ford supercarrier, touting his administration’s plans for a massive military buildup. Will this spark a global arms race? Brian is joined by international affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda.The International Monetary Fund turned 70 years old this week. An essential pillar of the post-war world order, the IMF has spread misery, debt and free-market dogma around the world. Pete Dolack, an organizer with Trade Justice New York Metro, joins the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by David Swanson, he is director of WorldBeyondWar.org and campaign coordinator for RootsAction.org. Democratic commentators and the corporate media are fawning over Trump’s speech on Tuesday and His especially shameless exploitation of the widow of a Navy SEAL who died in a raid in Yemen that killed nine children under the age of 13, many of their mothers and other Yemeni civiliansWar criminal and former president George W. Bush took a rare step into the public spotlight to criticize Donald Trump for “racism and name-calling”. Cindy Sheehan, legendary anti-war activist who hosts the podcast Cindy Sheehan’s Soapbox joins the show.100 years ago today, Puerto Ricans has U.S. citizenship imposed on them with the enactment of the Jones Act. However, the island remains a U.S. colony to this day, as economic crisis deepens and Wall Street vultures circle. Brian is joined by Camilo Matos of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Juan Jose Gutierrez, executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, and Jane Cutter, editor of LiberationNews.org. After a first month in office marked by mass protests, fierce infighting, and heightened diplomatic tension, President Donald Trump has delivered a wide-ranging speech to Congress.Yang Jiechi, China’s top diplomat, wrapped up a two-day visit to the United States yesterday and met with Rex Tillerson to discuss the strained U.S.-China relationship and prepare the ground for a summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. Brian is joined by David Ewing, the chair of the San Francisco branch of the U.S.-China People’s Friendship Association. Residents near the site of the proposed THAAD missile system the United States plans to deploy in South Korea have filed a lawsuit as a global movement against the deployment grows. Hyun Lee, a member of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea and the Task Force to

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Estevan Hernandez, a writer with LiberationNews.org, and Walter Smolarek, producer of Loud & Clear.President Donald Trump is set to deliver his speech to Congress tonight one day after promising a massive military buildup and corresponding cuts to other government programs. Military contractors are salivating while the people of the world shudder.Could the current Syrian peace talks in Geneva break down just days after reconvening? Bomb blasts over the weekend have threatened to derail the talks that began just last week. Catherine Shakdam, an independent political commentator and author, joins the show. The Democratic Party has chosen Tom Perez as new chair of the party, narrowing defeating Keith Ellison in what many saw as a rematch of Hillary Clinton vs. Bernie Sanders. By refusing to grant even this largely symbolic position to the party’s left wing, is the Democratic establishment digging its own grave? Brian is joined by activist and

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Alexander Mercouris; editor-in-chief of The Duran, and by Ben Norton, who is currently a contributor to AlterNet’s GrayZone Project.A Department of Defence report on the U.S. strategy in combating the so-called Islamic State is due early this week. Will the United States dramatically escalate its military presence in Iraq and Syria and cause further suffering and destabilization? More ground troops, stepped up bombings and so-called “safe zones” all appear to be on the table.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Anoa Changa, editor at large with the Progressive Army and host of the weekly radio show The Way With Anoa. Reeling from their humiliating defeat in the 2016 election, the Democratic National Committee convenes this weekend to elect a new chair. Keith Ellison wants the party to take a progressive turn, but is it too late? The big tech corporations bet big on Hillary Clinton, but are now scrambling to cozy up to Trump. Facebook has made a huge donation to CPAC - the Conservative Political Action Conference. Dr. Robert Epstein, the Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, joins the show. China has condemned U.S. patrols in the South China Sea, calling them dangerous and provocative. The aircraft-carrier strike group led by USS Carl Vinson conducting naval and air operations in the South China Sea this week is the first challenge to Beijing’s expansive maritime claims to the waters since Donal

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Kandi Mossett, an activist with the Indigenous Environmental Network.After months of peaceful protest, the water protectors at Standing Rock were targeted for eviction by law enforcement and the government, but the struggle is going forward.Geneva peace talks aimed at ending Syria’s nearly six year war will reconvene today more than a year after the last round ended unsuccessfully. Is there a new US policy? Are Iranian-Turkish relations also suddenly strained as Trump takes aim at Iran and what might that mean for an end to the war in Syria? John Wight, host of Radio Sputnik's Hard Facts, joins the show to discuss. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly are in Mexico for two days of talks after President Nieto cancelled his White House visit. Mexican people are in the streets. They are angry not just at Trump but at their own government. Might there a massive cross border movement of protest and resistanc

There was plenty of saber rattling as world leaders gathered for the Munich Security summit. There, Vice President Mike Pence and other administration officials took a hawkish tone towards Russia, and Iran was also the target of heated words. Mark Sleboda, international affairs and security analyst, joins the show to discuss what to make of the words from Trump administration officials.Brian Becker is joined by Eugene Puryear, the host of Radio Sputnik's By Any Means Necessary, and by Loud & Clear producer Walter Smolarek. President Donald Trump has appointed H.R McMaster as his new national security advisor after Michael Flynn’s resignation. Does this set the Trump administration and Russia on a collision course? Secretary of Defence James Mattis made an unannounced visit to Baghdad on Monday as Iraqi forces begin the deadly push into western Mosul. Is U.S. policy in Iraq and Syria changing under Trump, or are we seeing a continuation of Obama-era policy? Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek fills in for Brian Becker and is joined by Alberto Garcia Watson, a journalist and former senior correspondent for HispanTV. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold long-awaited talks with Donald Trump today. Are we on the precipice of an era of unrestrained settlement building and annexation of Palestinian land? Donald Trump’s ultra right-wing national security advisor Michael Flynn has resigned less than a month into the administration over a scandal involving Russia. Now, establishment conservatives are poised to seize greater control of the Trump White House. Smolarek speaks with journalist Pepe Escobar about the significance of Flynn's resignation. Secretary of Defence James Mattis is in Brussels for talks with NATO allies who are eager to get assurances about U.S. support for the alliance under President Trump. Will the United States continue to back NATO’s eastward march toward Russia? Mark Sleboda, international affairs and security a

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek fills in for Brian Becker and is joined by Juan Jose Gutierrez, executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition. Raids have been taking place across the United States with federal agents rounding up hundreds of undocumented people in the opening round of Trump’s anti-immigrant crackdown. This has been met by fierce resistance from the immigrant rights movement.The United Nations confirmed that U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan killed at least 18 civilians last week days after the U.S. commander there called for thousands of additional troops. Ben Norton, a journalist for AlterNet's GrayZone Project, joins the show to discuss if the Trump administration will extend the longest war in U.S. history. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Donald Trump at the White House yesterday. The uncertain future of the NAFTA trade agreement loomed large over the meeting. Where is U.S. trade policy headed under the Trump administration? Pete Dolack,