Loud & Clear

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, to discuss what comes next in Syria's war after Aleppo has been retaken by the Syrian Arab Army. The surrender of Islamist groups in eastern Aleppo was met with scenes of jubilation in the streets as thousands return home. But the mainstream media is painting a very different picture of what’s taking place - is it to build the pretext for western intervention? The CIA continues to push its story that Russia hacked e-mails from the Democratic Party to help Donald Trump as President Obama orders an investigation. Brian speaks with NSA whistleblower William Binney about his argument that these were inside leaks, not outside hacks. U.S. Secretary of Defence Ash Carter was in Israel on Monday to deliver the first two F-35 fighter jets, but the Lockheed Martin company’s stock fell when Donald Trump took to Twitter to say the costs on the program were out of control. Pierre Sprey, who was on the desig

The CIA alleged that Russia engaged in hacking in order to help Donald Trump become the next president, but does the evidence back up the accusations? More than a month after his victory, why is the anti-Russia hysteria still being ramped up by the establishment and Democratic Party?And were these hacks - a malicious remote attack - or were they really leaks - when information is physically removed and released by an insider?Five-party coalition talks appear to have failed after Iceland’s Pirate Party has been invited to form the country’s next government. How does this party of activists and outsiders change Icelandic and European politics, and what comes next in the complicated process to form a government?Oktavia Hrund, a deputy MP for the Pirate Party, joins the show. As Aleppo sits on the verge of being fully liberated by the Syrian Army, Daesh launches an attack to retake the ancient city of Palmyra, sending thousands of reinforcements from Raqqa. Syrian journalist Alaa Ebrahim joins Becker from Damascu

Loud & Clear presents a special one-hour special show from Havana with Dr. Eduardo Sagaro a Cuban pediatrician who was recruited by the CIA to report on the health of Fidel Castro, other Cuban leaders, Cuban troops in Angola and health related issues inside of Cuba including the impact of infectious diseases. But during his entire stint as a CIA agent Dr. Sagaro was in fact working as a Cuban double agent working for Cuban intelligence. He was not alone. Many perhaps most of the CIA agents in Cuba at that time were in fact Cuban double agents. Sagaro risked everything to defend the Cuban revolution. When Brian Becker of Loud & Clear asked him: “How did it feel to live as a spy,” Dr. Sagaro responded, “I was not a spy, I was a spy-hunter.” An amazing episode!

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Juan Jose Gutierrez, the director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, to discuss Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Trump has selected retired General John Kelly, a role that would have him oversee the building of Trump’s proposed wall on the Mexico border. What does his selection mean for the struggle for immigrants’ rights? Trump looked to score a public relations victory this week when he took credit for persuading the Carrier corporation not to outsource 1,100 jobs. Chuck Jones, the President of United Steelworkers 1999 who represents workers at the plant, says this isn’t exactly true. The fightback against neoliberalism continues in Brazil as the country’s Supreme Court blocks the suspension of the President of the Senate who was accused of embezzlement. Brazilian-British journalist and activist Victor Fraga joins Becker to talk about the latest.

As Donald Trump doubles down on his anti-China rhetoric following President Obama’s so-called pivot to Asia, could a coming escalation between the U.S and China actually lead to a war?The Syrian Army advances in Aleppo with the vast majority of the city now under its control. Opposition forces in the city all but acknowledged defeat as they propose a 5-day ceasefire - will they ever recover? Brian discusses these developments with Syrian journalist Kevork Almassian.Fidel Castro was buried over the weekend, but his legacy continues to live on in the Cuban Revolution. Yanela Gonzalez joins the show to look at how the revolution brought about tremendous progress for Cuba’s Black population and the country’s contribution to Africa’s liberation struggles.

President Obama gave his final major National Security speech at Central Command in Tampa, Florida last night in which he outlined his administration’s counterterrorism approach, or as he explained it “how he's worked to keep the American people safe at home and abroad”. But is the Obama legacy of endless war and drone strikes really about keeping Americans safe or about maintaining the dominant position of the U.S. Empire?

Donald Trump talks tough against China days after a historic phone call with the President of Taiwan that marked the first direct communication between leaders of the two countries since 1979. Is Trump set to inflame tensions with China further after taking office?Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has resigned after being trounced in a referendum on political reforms. The turbulence in Europe continues with this vote, as well as controversy over the Austrian election and debt relief for Greece. Smolarek talks to John Wight, host of Radio Sputnik's Hard Facts.Donald Trump said that “almost all” of his cabinet positions will be filled this week. However, his picks so far are starkly at odds with much of the populist rhetoric he campaigned on. Anoa Changa, host of the weekly radio show The Way with Anoa, talks about the significance of Carson's appointment and the administration Trump is building.

From the streets of Havana, Cuba, Loud & Clear talks with Andres Gomez, a leader of Cuban-Americans in Miami who have defied the mainstream media's caricature of their community by opposing the US blockade of Cuba. Gomez talks about his discussions with Fidel regarding Cuba's changing approach to the Cuban exile community in Miami; about the terrorist threats that he and others faced in Miami from CIA-backed right wing Cuban groups; about the impact that Fidel Castro had on Cuba and Cubans during the past six decades and about the prospects of U.S.-Cuban relations following Donald Trump's denunciations of Cuba following Fidel's death. Fidel's initiative to provide free medical scholarships in Cuba for young people from working class communities in the United States is discussed in the second segment with Alexandra Skeeter. Coming from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Alexandra has been in Cuba studying medicine on full scholarship at Cuba's Latin American School of Medicine. Fidel and Cuba's attitude toward religio

Guests today include Fernando Gonzalez, one of the Cuban Five who spent more than 15 years in U.S. prisons; Luis Moron of ICAP; Gloria La Riva of the Cuba and Venezuela Solidarity Committee and attorney Julie Felix. La Riva and Felix traveled to Cuba from California to take part in the memorial ceremonies for Fidel. Our Radio Sputnik team is in Cuba covering the funeral and days of mourning, we will get insight from Cuba on the legacy of this giant of history and the future of the country he led.

Journalist Barrett Brown was released from prison earlier this week after spending years in custody. What does his case tell us about the sorry state of press freedoms in the United States? German Chancellor Angela Merkel has vowed to deport 100,000 migrants next year as she seeks a fourth term in office. But will her new U-Turn be enough to curb the rise of the far-right, or is her new policy itself an expression of anti-immigrant rhetoric and xenophobia being dominant in the mainstream? Salman Shaheen, editor-in-chief of The World Weekly, joins Becker to discuss if immigration is now by far the biggest issue in European politics. Cuba continues to remember Fidel Castro during a 9-day period of mourning as the world remembers this giant of history. For World AIDS Day, we’ll look at why Cuba has such as low rate of deaths from AIDS and how the small island country was able to eliminate mother-to-baby HIV transmission as part of its revolution in health care. Dr. Helen Yaffe, a professor at the London School

The Syrian Army and its allies have captured more than a third of the territory held by Islamist forces in the eastern part of the Aleppo in what is being called the biggest setback since 2012 for the opposition to the Syrian government. The battle lines in France’s presidential election have become clearer after the primary held last weekend by the center-right The Republicans party. President Francois Hollande’s so-called Socialist Party is in dire straights while the danger of the far-right National Front of Marine Le Pen looms. Brian is joined by Eugene Puryear, host of Radio Sputnik's By Any Means Necessary, and Walter Smolarek, producer of Loud & Clear. The Washington Post reported that news outlets such as RT and Sputnik helped to spread “fake news” during the election. Weeks later, there doesn’t appear to be any letting up in the mainstream media’s campaign against alternative news outlets. Cindy Sheehan, anti-war activist, joins the show to talk about the new McCarythism.

Cuba continues to mourn the loss of Fidel Castro as tributes are paid from all corners of the globe, but the corporate media in the United States has spent the last few days slandering him. Three weeks after the presidential election, the mainstream media continues to attack Russia, alleging that news outlets such as RT and Sputnik helped to spread “fake news” during the election. The new McCarthyism looks set to outlive the election cycle. Becker speaks with Glen Ford, Executive Editor of Black Agenda Report, one of the outlets accused by the Washington Post of spreading "fake news". Donald Trump appears to be putting together a cabinet of far-right billionaires. Now there is a real tug of war inside the transition team that is fully out in the open. Ted Rall, editorial cartoonist and columnist, joins Becker.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by former CIA analyst and whistleblower John Kiriakou to discuss the latest tension inside the NSA. The Pentagon and intelligence chiefs are pushing to oust the director of the NSA, but Admiral Michael Rogers is apparently being considered for a post in the Trump administration. Chinese President Xi Jinping is on his third trip to Latin America since taking office in 2013. With the Trans-Pacific Partnership looking like a no go and Donald Trump coming into office in January, is this the end of the Monroe Doctrine? Patrick Lawrence, writer and columnist, joins Becker to discuss what's next for China-Latin American cooperation.Vice President-elect Mike Pence said on Sunday that the Trump administration will work on repealing Obamacare “out of the gate”, setting up a confrontation with Congressional Democrats, but even under Obamacare, huge insurance corporations dominate the system. Becker talks to Margaret Flowers, a pediatrician and advocate for s

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and current political activist and journalist, as well as by editorial cartoonist and writer Ted Rall, whose upcoming book is “Trump: A Graphic Biography”.Donald Trump has chosen some of the most far right figures in the government and military for top posts in his administration. Jeff Sessions was tapped for Attorney General, Mike Flynn will be National Security Advisor and Mike Pompeo was chosen to be director of the CIA. What do these picks say about the kind of administration Trump is shaping?

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by journalist and geopolitical analyst Pepe Escobar to discuss President Obama's final trip abroad.President Obama met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and held a press conference where he talked about the future of U.S.-European relations and his advice to Donald Trump about foreign policy regarding Russia and others.NSA whistleblower William Binney joins Brian to discuss the resignation of James Clapper as Director of National Intelligence. Under Clapper's watch, a spying apparatus the likes of which the world has never seen was constructed. The House of Representatives has extended sanctions against Iran for another decade. It is expected that the Senate will also pass the bill and President Obama will sign it before leaving office. Are we on the brink of a renewed round of U.S. aggression against Iran? Phil Wilayto, author of the book “In Defense of Iran: Notes from a U.S. Peace Delegation's Journey Through the Islamic Republic,” discusses

President Obama is meeting European leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel today, and will meet with the leaders of Italy, France and Britain on Friday. Coming as it does following the election of Donald Trump what is the main agenda of Obama in Europe? Russia and the Syrian Army have launched a major offensive to retake all of Aleppo from Islamist forces while Russian airstrikes in Idlib may represent a new phase in the Syria war. Becker speaks with Syrian journalist Kevork Almassian about what's next in Syria's war. When Donald Trump takes office on January 20th, he will oversee and control the largest surveillance machine in history. How did this police state get constructed and what kind of powers will Trump have? Joining Becker is former CIA analyst and case officer John Kiriakou.

Trump’s transition team has written a memo outlining his plan for the first 200 days of his presidency. One major area of focus for Trump will be to start renegotiating deals that he is opposed to from his first day in the White House, especially NAFTA. President Obama arrived in Greece yesterday on his final overseas trip before Donald Trump takes office in January. He will be seeking to reassure Europe and NATO of the enduring bonds between them and the United States. But will his words be enough to calm fears about a shift in U.S. foreign policy? Becker is joined by Sputnik International political analyst Dimitri Babich.The resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline continues as a day of action saw more than 200 protest across the country Tuesday. Is this part of a new wave of mass protest in the United States? Becker speaks with Kandi Mossett, the Indigenous Environmental Network’s Lead Organizer on the Extreme Energy & Just Transition Campaign.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined Ben Norton, political staff writer at Salon.com, and by Eugene Puryear, the host of Radio Sputnik’s By Any Means Necessary.One week has passed since the shock of Donald Trump winning the presidential election. As Trump makes decisions on who he will fill his cabinet with, eyebrows in Washington are already being raised about the appointment of Stephen Bannon as his chief strategist. What will his other cabinet picks indicate about his administration's policies?

Just hours after Donald Trump became the President elect, mass protests saw tens of thousands come into the streets all across the country to proclaim that “Trump is not my president”. As Trump met with the President yesterday to plan what Obama says he wants to be a “smooth transition”, will it be anything but that in the streets and in Black, Latino, immigrant, LGBTQ and Muslim communities? With the country deeply polarized, are we now entering into a period of mass resistance to all that Trump represents?

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by editorial cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall; Gloria La Riva, 2016 Presidential candidate for the Party for Socialism and Liberation; and Walter Smolarek, producer of Loud & Clear; to discuss the shocking victory of Donald Trump as President-elect of the United States. As the news that Trump will be the next President and Commander In Chief sinks in, the country and the world continue to react. What does Trump’s victory as someone who entered the race as a complete outsider with no prior political experience mean for both U.S. politics and the world? How did he tap into the disaffection of millions of people by taking on the establishment, and how did it all go so wrong for Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party? Would things have been different in Bernie Sanders had been the Democratic nominee, and will a Trump presidency be ushered in amidst mass protest against his divisive policies?