Loud & Clear

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou is joined by Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers.The Justice Department today released its long-awaited Inspector General’s report on the FBI’s investigation into possible possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia. The report states that the investigation was initiated based “on the thinnest of suspicions” and points out fundamental flaws in the FISA warrant process that leaves the system rife with abuse. Impeachment hearings continued today before the House Judiciary Committee, with chairman Jerry Nadler beginning the day saying that President Trump put himself before the country and the Democratic Counsel saying that the evidence of impeachable acts is overwhelming. But polls show that Americans are already getting tired by what they see as the same details being repeated over and over again. Once a vote is taken and impeachment is approved, the whole thing moves to the Senate for trial. But have Democrats already gone too far? Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show. Calling President Trump “a heedless and erratic old man,” North Korea announced that it had conducted what it called “a very important test” at its missile engine test facility in the country’s north. Analysts said the test probably involved a new type of booster engine that could be used to propel a satellite-delivery rocket or an intercontinental ballistic missile. The North Korean leadership has become increasingly frustrated by the slow pace of progress in talks with the United States and the fact that sanctions against the country have not been lifted. John speaks with Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst. This weekend marked the six month anniversary of the start of protests in Hong Kong, and the marches were among the biggest yet with more than 800,000 people participating according to opposition activists. How long will these demonstrations continue, what effect will they have on Hong Kong in the long term, and how will the Chinese central government react? Mike Wong, the Vice President of the San Francisco chapter of Veterans for Peace, joins the show. Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins John. In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the impeachment hearings, the release of the Justice Department Inspector General’s report, the UK election, US-North Korea tensions and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology joins the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ben Norton, a journalist with The Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, and Sputnik News analyst and producer Nicole Roussell.Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the 2020 race, Hillary Clinton’s latest weird attacks on Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg’s history in Iraq with the infamous firm McKinsey, YouTube demonetizing Moderate Rebels and The Grayzone, and the hysterical but light-on-facts report from the Organization of American States on Bolivia’s presidential vote. Impeachment hearings continued this week, but that wasn’t the most interesting political news. Joe Biden took the opportunity yesterday to call an Iowa farmer “fat” and “a damn liar” when the man asked him about Hunter Biden’s role in a Ukrainian energy company. And the media are now telling us that Pete Buttigieg is “surging” in California, where the latest polls have him going from 10 percent to 6 percent and then back up to 12 percent. Meanwhile, the same media largely ignore the fact that Bernie Sanders is leading the race in California. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, joins the show. The American Legislative Exchange Council, a far-right group made up of conservative state lawmakers from around the country, is meeting this week in Scottsdale, Arizona. The purpose of the meeting is to come up with cookie-cutting right-wing legislation that members can sponsor in whatever state they come from. Think abortion, cutting food stamps, corporate taxes, and other Republican memes. Well, the group is being sued because the meeting violates Arizona’s “open meetings law,” which mandates that meetings of any public entity be open to the public. Brian and John speak with David Armiak, the research director at the Center for Media and Democracy. At least 15 people were stabbed in a Baghdad square yesterday as Iran militia supporters clashed with anti-government and anti-Iran protestors. Protests against corruption and in favor of economic reform have worsened in Iraq, despite the fact that Prime Minister Adil Abd al-Mahdi resigned last week. The United Nations and human rights observers say that more than 460 people have been killed and more than 20,000 wounded, the vast majority of them by military and police forces. Eugene Puryear, the host of By Any Means Necessary, which is on every day from 2:00-4:00 pm here on Sputnik Radio, joins the show. Every major city in France was shut down yesterday in a massive general strike called after unpopular French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he would combine 42 separate public pension plans into one national system. The French people don’t trust him to do that and, as a result, transportation was paralyzed, schools were closed, and protest leaders said they were willing to keep the strike going into next week. Gilbert Mercier, Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” joins Brian and John. It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi today gave an official statement on the status of the Democrats’ efforts to impeach President Trump. She pledged to move forward with the process, which is expected to shortly produce formal articles of impeachment. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared on the Howard Stern show and said the Russians backed Bernie Sanders, among other things, including that Bernie “hurt” her campaign. Joe Lauria, editor in chief of Consortium News, and author of the book “How I Lost, by Hillary Clinton,” joins the show. The Trump administration is considering a significant expansion of the U.S. military footprint in the Middle East to counter Iran, including dozens more ships, other military hardware and as many as 14,000 additional troops, U.S. officials said. Brian and John speak with Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist, and analyst specializing in U.S. national security policy, and the author of “Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare.” Workers in France are staging a massive general strike today against a pension reform plan pushed by the government of President Emmanuel Macron. Unions say that the proposed changes will force workers to stay in the workforce longer and leave retirees struggling to get by. Gilbert Mercier, Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” joins the show. The House of Representatives yesterday, by a vote of 407-1, approved a bill that would heavily sanction China over allegations that it is forcibly detaining ethnic Uighurs. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration. The Chinese government reacted with outrage at this intervention into its domestic affairs, saying that Washington is sullying its counterterrorism and anti-radicalization efforts. Eugene Puryear, the host of By Any Means Necessary, which is on every day, Monday through Friday from 2:00-4:00 PM here on Radio Sputnik, joins Brian and John. Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.Usually Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is on Thursday this week about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.

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 book “No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using 'Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests.”Impeachment hearings start up again today, this time before the House Judiciary Committee. Democrats on the Intelligence Committee yesterday released their report, which, they say, shows damning evidence that President Trump committed crimes so grave that the only response must be removal from office. Today, four renowned legal scholars will testify as to the constitutional basis for impeachment. The second day of the two-day NATO Summit ended in acrimony after President Trump canceled a press conference and abruptly returned to Washington. This came just hours after Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada, Prime Minister Johnson of the UK, President Macron of France, and Prime Minister Rutte of the Netherlands were caught on a hot microphone mocking Trump. 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, joins the show. Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the former Stanford University roommates who founded Google 20 years ago, resigned yesterday from all executive positions at Google and its parent company, Alphabet. Both Google and Alphabet will now be run by Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO. Page and Bryn will remain as board members and as Google’s largest shareholders. The resignations come at a time of turmoil for Google and in the immediate aftermath of the firing of a group of employees who sought to form a union at Google. And in the past year, Pichai has cracked down on employees who complained that the company was violating its own edict of “Don’t Be Evil” by working in national security and with oppressive regimes around the world. Brian and John speak with software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky. Today marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton. A charismatic organizer beloved by the Black liberation and socialist movement, Hampton was gunned down as he lay in bed by Chicago police at the age of 21. But his legacy continues to inspire activists today. Aislinn Pulley, an organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement and Co-Executive Director of the Chicago Torture Justice Center, and Eddie Conway, Executive Producer with The Real News Network, was a leading member of the Baltimore branch of the Black Panther Party, and a political prisoner for 44 years, seven of which were in solitary confinement, joins the show.Yet another general strike is taking place today in Colombia as protests against the anti-worker, anti-peace agenda of far-right president Ivan Duque continue. 5 people have been killed so far, and more repression is feared today. James Jordan, a member of the Alliance for Global Justice and has been deeply involved in supporting the Colombian peace process, joins Brian and John. Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including the impeachment hearings, the NATO summit, and more. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.Our regular Thursday segment is on Wednesday today, and deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a...

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou is joined by Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran.President Trump is in London for the first day of the two-day NATO summit, an event to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the alliance. But not all is well in London. Turkey threatened to not defend Poland the Baltic States if they do not support Turkey in its fight against the Kurds. The alliance officially listed China as one of its rivals, and President Trump criticized French President Emmanuel Macron for saying in a recent interview that NATO was “brain dead.” Democratic presidential candidate and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is not only a politician -- he’s a media mogul too. Bloomberg News has ordered that its reporters not investigate him or his campaign along with his Democratic competitors. Further, high ranking staff at Bloomberg will be joining his campaign. Meanwhile, The Trump campaign said that it would no longer credential reporters from the Bloomberg news service. Tim Karr, the senior director of strategy and communications at Free Press, joins the show. California Senator Kamala Harris, once thought to be a top-tier Democratic presidential candidate, announced this afternoon that she was dropping out of the race. Harris has lagged in recent polls, but her campaign announced yesterday that she would take out a significant ad buy in Iowa in the coming weeks. That will now be canceled. Just a few days ago, one of Harris’s top campaign aides defected to the campaign of former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg. John speaks with Sputnik News analysts and producers Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek.The media have reported over the past week that tech giants Apple, Google, Microsoft, and others pay no federal income taxes--not a cent. Well, they pay almost no taxes in Europe either, and the European Union is trying to do something about that. A new Digital Tax would impose a levy of between 3.0 percent and 9.5 percent on tech companies with more than $845 million in revenue. Believe it or not, though, Washington is fighting a new tax. And the dispute may not be able to be solved amicably. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins the show. Ukrainian neo-Nazis--members of the Azov Brigade--have arrived in Hong Kong to teach demonstrators there how to use improvised weapons. They’ve been so brazen that they’ve actually been posting updates of their exploits on social media. Meanwhile, China yesterday banned US Navy port calls and American military aircraft from visiting Hong Kong in response to Washington’s adoption of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, a new law that supports demonstrators in Hong Kong. The law passed unanimously in the Senate and by a vote of 417-1 in the House. The Chinese Foreign Ministry warned against further meddling in China’s internal affairs and said additional sanctions could be forthcoming. KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins John. The hosts take a look at the biggest stories of the day, including the NATO summit, the 2020 Democratic presidential primary and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell join the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou is joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”The House Intelligence Committee today is expected to circulate its Ukraine report, as the House Judiciary Committee begins its own impeachment hearings. The Intelligence Committee will vote to release the Ukraine Report tomorrow. Meanwhile, President Trump said he will not participate in the impeachment hearings after all, calling the entire process “unfair.” London is still reeling from a terrorist attack over the weekend that left two dead, as President Trump heads to the UK for the NATO summit. The two victims of the attack were a young man and woman active in the issue of criminal justice reform. And one of the heroes of the attack was a convicted murderer who had just been released from prison the day before. He was able to wrest the knife from the attacker. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is ignoring calls from the victims’ families to not exploit the deaths for political purposes. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show. Gas flowed for the first time today through a huge new pipeline connecting Russia and China. And as the gas flowed, it sent geopolitical ripples around the world. Why? Because Washington has no control over this gas. It can’t stop it or sanction it. And it’s exactly what the Russian and Chinese economies need right now. Meanwhile, the prospects of U.S. sanctions against companies involved in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline grows. John speaks with Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst. The self-declared leaders of Bolivia are consolidating their power and have called new elections, now scheduled for March. The national police and the military continue to attack funerals and to arrest indigenous people and leftists, and the new leaders are asking the International Criminal Court to charge President Evo Morales with unspecified crimes against humanity. Meanwhile, the mainstream media here in the US is lining up behind the coup and is asking why Venezuela can’t be more like Bolivia. Wyatt Reed, a journalist with The Grayzone, where he focuses on climate and racial justice issues and foreign policy, joins the show. Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers is out today, and progressive activist Joel Segal joins John. In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the upcoming impeachment news, the 2020 race, Epstein victim Giuffre in court suing Alan Dershowitz, and Giuliani associates in a federal criminal case. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Chase Iron Eyes, a member of the Lakota People's Law Project and a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, and by Jean Roach, of the Mnicoujou Lakota, a leading member of the International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee (ILPDC) and a survivor of the 1975 Oglala incident.Leonard Peltier is a world renowned activist, author and long-time leader in the Native American movement. He’s also a political prisoner -- incarcerated for over 40 years as a result of a trial that his supporters say was a travesty of justice. Today the hosts discuss his case and the ongoing movement to win his freedom. Learn more about the movement to free Leonard Peltier at WhoIsLeonardPeltier.Info.Coal miners and nearby residents have long suffered from illnesses and health problems due to the many byproducts of the mining. West Virginia is the second-highest coal producing state and the industry has long been a primary source of jobs in the region. Fracking for natural gas, another dangerous and harmful process, has increased in the area in recent years as well. What harms are done to residents and what alternatives are there? Creative activist and journalist Eleanor Goldfield, host of the podcast Act Out!, which airs on Free Speech TV, and whose work is at ArtKillingApathy.com, joins the show. Earlier in the month, she spent time in West Virginia reporting on how coal mining and fracking are affecting local residents.Our friend and frequent guest Dan Kovalik is coming out with a new book. “No More War:How the West Violates International Law by Using 'Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests” comes out in April, but advance reviews are stellar.Brian and John speak with Dan Kovalik, a human rights, labor lawyer, and author of many books.This regular segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and the author of many books, including “The Apocalypse of Settler Colonialism: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy, and Capitalism in 17th Century North America and the Caribbean” and “The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America.”We all know the Thanksgiving story, right? Friendly Native Americans helped pious European settlers through their harvest, shared with them the bounties of the land, and the first Thanksgiving was created. But just about none of that is true. It’s based, according to the Smithsonian Institution, on colonial settler accounts, as well as the writings of later fur trappers, missionaries, and the odd curious traveler. The account of the first Thanksgiving doesn’t take into consideration how those same settlers spread disease, stole land, and virtually wiped out the indigenous Wompanoag tribe. Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Special guest Ian Zabarte, Principal Man of the Western Bands of the Shoshone Indians, a leading voice nationally against the Yucca Mountain dump, and the secretary of the Native Community Action Council; Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear; and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell join the show. Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Patricia Gorky, a software engineer and technology and security analyst.Four employees at Google were fired this week in what activists say is a clear case of workplace organizing related to growing opposition to the company’s business with Border Patrol. Workers were outraged that Google was complicit in the growing repression and human rights violations being carried out along the U.S.-Mexico border. The US military has quietly resumed large-scale military operations in Syria, following a brief hiatus after what President Trump called the defeat of the Islamic State. Air Force Major General Eric Hill said that US forces were active in Deir az-Zour over the weekend, where they captured more than a dozen ISIS fighters and killed and wounded an unknown number. The real question, though, is with eight other countries already actively fighting in Syria, why is the US there at all? Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show. More than 60 medical doctors have written an open letter saying that Wikileaks cofounder Julian Assange’s health is so poor that he could die in London’s maximum-security Belmarsh Prison, from which he is fighting extradition to the United States. In the letter, which is addressed to the British Home Secretary, the physicians ask that Julian be transferred to a university teaching hospital. Brian and John speak with Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton." The United Nations has just published a bleak report saying that, without immediate drastic action, climate change will be irreversible, causing massive natural disasters. By the end of this century, average temperatures will rise by seven degrees Fahrenheit, causing mass migrations and displacement of millions of people. Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation” from Monthly Review Press, joins the show. Four Michigan residents, on behalf of more than half a million people, have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the state’s new requirements that all Medicaid recipients must work to remain eligible for healthcare. Michigan asked the federal government late last year for a waiver that would make “work or work-related activity” mandatory for recipients between the ages of 18 and 62. The rule is scheduled to go into effect on January 1. Leo Cuello, an attorney and the director of health policy for the National Health Law Program, joins Brian and John. The hosts talk about the biggest news so far this week, including the newest in the impeachment inquiry, that courts have said White House Counsel Don McGahn must testify, Chile’s strike, Google firing workers over organizing against sexual harassment and other problems in the workplace, and a Palestinian dying of cancer in an Israeli jail. Brian and John are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek.Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.

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.President Trump last week pardoned Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, who had been convicted of war crimes after murdering an ISIS suspect in cold blood. Gallagher had been turned in by his own men and prosecuted by his superiors. Navy Secretary Richard Spencer opposed the pardon and went public with his opposition to President Trump’s decision to also led Gallagher keep his Navy SEAL pin. Yesterday, Defense Secretary Mark Esper forced the Navy Secretary to resign. The Colombian government announced last week that it would close its borders in an attempt to contain mass strikes and protests that have swept the country in opposition to right-wing President Ivan Duque. The original goal of the protests was to oppose Duque’s austerity measures. But in the wake of mass protests across South America, they have taken on a life of their own and are threatening Duque’s hold on power. James Jordan, a member of the Alliance for Global Justice and has been deeply involved in supporting the Colombian peace process, joins the show. An agreement has been reached in Bolivia between the Movement for Socialism party of President Evo Morales and the coup government of Jeanine Añez to call new elections to normalize the situation in the country. Morales remains in exile in Mexico, and the Añez regime has vowed to prosecute him on a wide range of extremely heavy, trumped-up charges. Brian and John speak with Patricio Zamorano, an academic and international analyst and Co-Director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, COHA. Anti-establishment candidates won a sweeping victory in Hong Kong’s municipal elections over the weekend. A record number of voters--turnout was 70 percent--led to the opposition capturing 389 out of 452 elected seats on district councils, up from only 124. Pro-establishment candidates won only 58 seats, down from 300. KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins the show. Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John. In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology joins the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton."A former FBI attorney is under criminal investigation after allegedly altering a document related to the probe of the 2016 surveillance of Trump campaign official Carter Page. If true, the allegation amounts to a felony and it is already fanning the flames of Republican complaints that the FBI was actively working against the Trump campaign.Just days after murdering eight unarmed protestors at a gas facility outside La Paz, the Bolivian police and military attacked a funeral for the victims, using tear gas and rubber bullets. The government’s use of violence against indigenous people and progressives has become the norm. Meanwhile, there are reports that self-proclaimed president Jeanine Anez has issued an arrest warrant for President Evo Morales as top officials label Morales an “international criminal”. Longtime peace activist and member of Code Pink, Tighe Barry, who just got back from Bolivia, joins the show.The Israeli media are weighing in on the indictment yesterday of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on three felony counts of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. Most of the reporting so far has been factual, with outlets going to lengths to explain exactly what the charges are. The debate now is whether he can remain Prime Minister while under indictment, whether he can maintain his parliamentary immunity, and if he can’t, how he can fight the charges in criminal court. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net.Seven more protestors were killed and more than 50 wounded in demonstrations in Baghdad yesterday. Hospital officials say that police are aiming tear gas canisters at protestors’ heads and they’re using live ammunition to shoot them. The death toll from demonstrations around Iraq is now over 330 with no end in sight. Earlier indications that the government was willing to make changes to meet protestors’ demands have fallen by the wayside. Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the impeachment hearings, revelations about the conduct and criminal activity of the FBI during the 2016 presidential campaign, the coup in Bolivia, and U.S. interference in Hong Kong and the Democratic Party debates. Brian and John speak with Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, a contributor to Businessweek, The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com, and whose writings are at ThisCantBeHappening.net.Democrats squared off last night in Atlanta for their fifth formal presidential debate. Ten candidates participated. Elizabeth Warren called for the expansion of the military, Joe Biden once again had an embarrassing performance and the MSNBC moderators set up an attack on Tulsi Gabbard. And as usual, critical issues were left out of this corporate media-controlled spectacle. Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was indicted today on three felony counts of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. It is the first time in Israeli history that a sitting Prime Minister has been charged with crimes. The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, will now begin the process of stripping Netanyahu of his parliamentary immunity. Brian and John speak with Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and of "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.”Today was Day 5 of the House impeachment hearings. Former National Security Council senior director Fiona Hill, a Russia expert, testified that it was Russia, not Ukraine, that meddled in the 2016 presidential election. And David Holmes, a senior staff member in the US Embassy in Kiev, testified about the presidential phone call that he overheard while in a restaurant there. President Trump, meanwhile, criticized Holmes on Twitter and called House Intelligence Committee Democrats “human scum.” Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show. Scott Warren, an Arizona public school teacher, was found not guilty in federal court yesterday on two felony charges of “harboring illegal immigrants.” What Warren had actually done was to provide food, water, and a place to sleep to two migrants who had crossed the border. He faced 10 years in a federal prison. Warren’s attorney told the court that “being a good Samaritan is not a felony. Practicing the golden rule is not a felony.” Kate Morgan, a longtime activist and volunteer with No More Deaths, the organization Scott Warren works with, joins the show. The US Senate yesterday unanimously passed a resolution on Hong Kong that China says is a blatant act of interference in its internal affairs. The House later in the day passed an identical resolution by a vote of 417-1. The measure now goes to the White House, and President Trump has indicated that he will sign it. It would provide for economic sanctions against Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Trump tweeted yesterday that trade talks with China are not going as well as originally expected. KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins Brian and John.A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland testified before the House Intelligence Committee this morning that President Trump premised US aid to Ukraine on that country’s willingness to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden. When asked if there was a quid pro quo, Sondland responded, “Yes there was.” The testimony was notable. But was it anything new? Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper and Undersecretary of State David Hale testified later in the afternoon. With less than 11 weeks to go before the Democratic caucuses in Iowa, the top 10-ranked Democrats will square off in a debate tonight in Atlanta. Four Democrats are vying in the top tier--Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Pete Buttigieg. But the field was recently shaken up with the announcements that former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg and former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick would jump into the race. Neither will participate in tonight’s debate. Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek joins the show. At least six people were killed yesterday in Bolivia after the military raided a fuel depot that had been blocked by supporters of exiled President Evo Morales. A New York Times reporter said he saw soldiers open fire on unarmed men outside the depot at El Alto, a majority Indigenous working class city outside the capital La Paz. Morales supporters had been able to keep the depot, which provides gasoline to La Paz, blocked for more than a week as part of the resistance to the military coup. Brian and John speak with Ben Norton, a journalist with Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast. At least two civilians were killed and several others wounded overnight in Israeli air attacks against targets in Syria. An Israeli military spokesman, in an unusual move, publicly confirmed that Israel hit Iranian and Syrian targets in retaliation for a Syrian rocket attack on Israel a day earlier. Meanwhile, Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz has told President Rivlin he is unable to form a government. Now Israel could see a weak right-wing coalition government with Benjamin Netanyahu as its leader or, yet again, new elections. Are these two developments related? Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn attacked each other on Brexit, health care, and the economy last night in a televised debate that, according to the British press, probably did little to change the minds of many voters. This was the first-ever head-to-head debate held in advance of a British election. Steve Hedley, the senior assistant general secretary of the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union, joins Brian and John. Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book “The Battle for Justice in Palestine.”Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced yesterday that the US government would no longer recognize the illegality of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The policy change comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fighting for his political life and desperate for anything he can present as a victory for his hardline policies. Impeachment hearings continued today with the Intelligence Committee hearing testimony from two National Security Council staff members--Jennifer Williams, a Foreign Service Officer assigned to Vice President Pence’s staff; she was listening in on the now-famous phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky; and Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, the NSC’s top Ukraine specialist. Vindman has been the subject of recent attacks from Republican lawmakers, particularly Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson. Vindman was also on the call and raised concerns with the White House Counsel. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, whose latest article on CounterPunch and The Polemicist is “Trump’s Syrian See-Saw: From Pullout to PIllage”, joins the show. A Swedish prosecutor this morning said that he has discontinued investigating a sexual assault case against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and has dropped the charges. The Swedish case was the impetus for Julian’s refuge in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London for six and a half years, but he now faces multiple espionage charges in the United States. Brian and John speak with Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star. Bolivia’s self-proclaimed president, Jeanine Anez, was supposed to be a caretaker until new elections were called. But in the past 9 days, since the military and police overthrew President Evo Morales, Anez has replaced Bolivia’s top military leaders, sacked the cabinet, and thrown out the heads of major state-owned companies. She is also overseeing the murder of indigenous people and leftists opposed to her coup. Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, protestors at the polytechnic university have armed themselves and are heading toward a violent clash with police. Tighe Barry, longtime peace activist and member of Code Pink, joins the show. The US and the Taliban exchanged prisoners this morning. Two professors, one American and one Australian, were turned over to US authorities, while three senior Taliban militants were turned over to Qatari authorities. Meanwhile, a British television program, Panorama, found evidence of a cover-up of British war crimes in Afghanistan. That information has been turned over to the International Criminal Court. And Afghan President Ashraf Ghani spoke with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday about the prisoner swap and about what he is called the defeat of the Islamic State in Afghanistan. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins Brian and John. The hosts talk about the biggest news so far this week, including the coup in Bolivia, democratic presidential candidates’ comments about the coups or attempted coups in bolivia and venezuela, and the US announcement that it no longer considers Israeli settlements illegal. Brian and John are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek.Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the...

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou is joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com.Impeachment hearings continue today with the Intelligence Committee scheduled to hear eight witnesses in the next three days. Tomorrow will see testimony from two National Security Council staff members--Jennifer Williams, a Foreign Service Officer assigned to Vice President Pence’s staff; she was listening in on the now-famous phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky; and Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, the NSC’s top Ukraine specialist. He was also on the call and raised concerns with the White House Counsel. And Donald Trump has now suggested that he might testify. Roger Stone was convicted on seven felony counts of obstruction of justice, contempt of Congress, and perjury. Stone faces up to 50 years in prison, but will likely be sentenced in February to something under five years. But Stone is asking for a delay in sentencing, likely hoping that Donald Trump will pardon him in the meantime. Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," joins the show. Hong Kong police surrounded a university yesterday after demonstrators shot a policeman with an arrow and began super gluing bricks and stones to the pavement to prevent the movement of police vehicles. Protestors also have been hoarding and practicing with Molotov cocktails on the university campus. Police arrested at least 400 protestors yesterday when they tried to leave the campus. With that said, the near absence of deadly police violence is a major contrast to demonstrations in France, Iraq, Lebanon, and elsewhere. John speaks with Mike Wong, he is the Vice President of the San Francisco chapter of Veterans for Peace. The Chilean Congress has reached an agreement to reform the constitution, which would become “100 percent democratic,” compared to the current constitution, which was passed during the dictatorial regime of Augusto Pinochet. Protesters are debating the way forward as the government prepares to organize a referendum in April. Patricio Zamorano, an academic and international analyst and Co-Director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, COHA, joins the show. Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins John. In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including impeachment testimony, protests around the world, and ongoing developments in the Democratic presidential primary. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.