Loud & Clear

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Aislinn Pulley, an organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement.Protestors in Bend, Oregon last night were sprayed by ICE agents with pepper spray, the use of tear gas has resumed in Portland and activists are denouncing what appears to be a coordinated crackdown. Meanwhile, protests and police attacks continued in Richmond, Chicago and elsewhere, and cops and politicians are demanding heavier and heavier charges and elsewhere. Presumptive Democratic Presidential and Vice Presidential nominees Joe Biden and Kamala Harris appeared together yesterday for the first time since Harris joined the ticket. Harris gave a speech outlining the differences between the Democratic and Republican tickets, while President Trump responded by calling Harris “mean” and “a nasty woman.” And what can we expect in terms of the political relationship between Biden and Harris, considering that many don’t expect Biden to complete a full term in office? Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, and Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers, joins the show. 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.Loud & Clear’s 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.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, 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 Margaret Kimberley, an activist, columnist, and author, whose latest book is called “Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents,” and KJ Noh, a San Francisco activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice.Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden yesterday chose California Senator Kamala Harris to be his vice presidential running mate. Harris is the first African-American and Indian-American woman to appear on a major-party ticket. But not everybody is celebrating. Harris is a former prosecutor and state Attorney General, and she is responsible for imprisoning thousands of people under California’s drug laws. She has a conservative voting record on foreign affairs and issues of war and peace. And leaders of Wall Street banks are telling their clients that there is now no cause to worry about a Biden win in November. Covid-19 continues to spread through recently reopened schools, especially in the southern United States. Many school districts there reopened two weeks ago, only to see thousands of new infections and then to close again. Meanwhile, cruise ship employees say that after passengers departed, they were stranded on the ships for months. Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious disease physician and vice chair of the Infectious Disease Society of America’s Global Health Committee, joins the show. Large-scale protests continue in Bolivia against the decision by the coup-installed government of the country to once again postpone elections. As strikes and roadblocks bring the country to a standstill, right-wing paramilitary groups are being mobilized by pro-coup forces to violently repress demonstrators. Brian and John speak with Arnold August, a journalist, the author of three books on Cuba, Latin America, and US foreign policy, and a Fellow at the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute. 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 Margaret Kimberley, an activist, columnist, and author, whose latest book is called “Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents,” and KJ Noh, a San Francisco activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice.Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden yesterday chose California Senator Kamala Harris to be his vice presidential running mate. Harris is the first African-American and Indian-American woman to appear on a major-party ticket. But not everybody is celebrating. Harris is a former prosecutor and state Attorney General, and she is responsible for imprisoning thousands of people under California’s drug laws. She has a conservative voting record on foreign affairs and issues of war and peace. And leaders of Wall Street banks are telling their clients that there is now no cause to worry about a Biden win in November. Covid-19 continues to spread through recently reopened schools, especially in the southern United States. Many school districts there reopened two weeks ago, only to see thousands of new infections and then to close again. Meanwhile, cruise ship employees say that after passengers departed, they were stranded on the ships for months. Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious disease physician and vice chair of the Infectious Disease Society of America’s Global Health Committee, joins the show. Large-scale protests continue in Bolivia against the decision by the coup-installed government of the country to once again postpone elections. As strikes and roadblocks bring the country to a standstill, right-wing paramilitary groups are being mobilized by pro-coup forces to violently repress demonstrators. Brian and John speak with Arnold August, a journalist, the author of three books on Cuba, Latin America, and US foreign policy, and a Fellow at the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute. 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 Kofi Ademola, an activist and organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement.Protests continued overnight and over the past weekend in both Portland and Chicago, and Chicago saw intense clashes, resulting in more than 100 arrests. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced today that Russian scientists have developed a vaccine for the coronavirus and that it has received regulatory approval after two months of testing on humans. Frontline medical professionals will be the first to receive the vaccine, and Putin’s own daughter already has received it. Russian doctors plan to begin mass vaccinations in October. Bryan Macdonald, a journalist who specializes in Eastern Europe and Russia, joins the show. Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.Loud & Clear’s 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.Tuesday’s regular segment 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, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kofi Ademola, an activist and organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement.Protests continued overnight and over the past weekend in both Portland and Chicago, and Chicago saw intense clashes, resulting in more than 100 arrests. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced today that Russian scientists have developed a vaccine for the coronavirus and that it has received regulatory approval after two months of testing on humans. Frontline medical professionals will be the first to receive the vaccine, and Putin’s own daughter already has received it. Russian doctors plan to begin mass vaccinations in October. Bryan Macdonald, a journalist who specializes in Eastern Europe and Russia, joins the show. Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.Loud & Clear’s 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.Tuesday’s regular segment 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, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Max Blumenthal, a bestselling author and journalist who is senior editor of The Grayzone and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels.”Four days ago, Twitter announced that it would begin identifying what it calls “state sponsors of information” on the platform. What that means is that when Sputnik, RT, Telesur, or any number of similar outlets post a tweet, Twitter will add a tag saying that the information comes from a foreign government. The implication is that reads should take what they read with a grain of salt. But the warning label will not be attached to tweets and news from the BBC, Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe, Radio or TV Marti, or the Voice of America, all of which are government owned and operated. Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill are still at loggerheads when it comes to a new coronavirus stimulus package. So President Trump this weekend took matters into his own hands. In a move that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called “absurdly unconstitutional” and that was even condemned by the conservative Wall Street Journal, Trump issued executive orders this weekend that cuts the payroll tax, deferrs student loans, and provides Americans with an unemployment supplement of $400 a week. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “The Scourge of Neo-Liberalism: US policy from Reagan to Trump,” joins the show. We continue our segment “Education for Liberation” where we 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? Brian and John speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and author, and host of the new podcast: “Under the Tree: A Seminar on Freedom with Bill Ayers” In The Week Ahead, the panel looks at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world including Trump’s executive orders on Coronavirus relief, the spread of the pandemic among children, and more. Walter Smolarek, Sputnik News analyst and one of the producers of Loud & Clear, joins the show. We continue our weekly half hour segment Technology Rules—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 Patricia Gorky, a software engineer and technology and security analyst, joins Brian and John.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Max Blumenthal, a bestselling author and journalist who is senior editor of The Grayzone and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels.”Four days ago, Twitter announced that it would begin identifying what it calls “state sponsors of information” on the platform. What that means is that when Sputnik, RT, Telesur, or any number of similar outlets post a tweet, Twitter will add a tag saying that the information comes from a foreign government. The implication is that reads should take what they read with a grain of salt. But the warning label will not be attached to tweets and news from the BBC, Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe, Radio or TV Marti, or the Voice of America, all of which are government owned and operated. Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill are still at loggerheads when it comes to a new coronavirus stimulus package. So President Trump this weekend took matters into his own hands. In a move that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called “absurdly unconstitutional” and that was even condemned by the conservative Wall Street Journal, Trump issued executive orders this weekend that cuts the payroll tax, deferrs student loans, and provides Americans with an unemployment supplement of $400 a week. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “The Scourge of Neo-Liberalism: US policy from Reagan to Trump,” joins the show. We continue our segment “Education for Liberation” where we 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? Brian and John speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and author, and host of the new podcast: “Under the Tree: A Seminar on Freedom with Bill Ayers” In The Week Ahead, the panel looks at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world including Trump’s executive orders on Coronavirus relief, the spread of the pandemic among children, and more. Walter Smolarek, Sputnik News analyst and one of the producers of Loud & Clear, joins the show. We continue our weekly half hour segment Technology Rules—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 Patricia Gorky, a software engineer and technology and security analyst, joins Brian and John.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall. He’s an award-winning columnist and political cartoonist and you can check out his work at www.rall.com.Discussions between the White House and Congressional Democrats on a coronavirus relief package are on the brink of collapse, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi now saying that there may be light at the end of the tunnel, but that light may be an oncoming train. Even after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell relented on continuing the $600 weekly supplement for the unemployed, the White House and Democrats are so far apart that no coronavirus aid bill is expected at least through the weekend. President Trump yesterday issued executive orders that would ban popular apps TikTok and WeChat from operating in the United States if they are not sold to a US company in the next 45 days. The Wall Street Journal says that the executive orders are unprecedented in American history. Trump earlier in the week told Microsoft’s CEO that if the company buys TikTok, he expects “a great deal of money to go to the Treasury.” That, too, is unprecedented. John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations, joins the show. Yesterday was the 75th anniversary of the US atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima, Japan. And Sunday marks the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. The bombings killed as many as 226,000 people, almost all of whom were civilians. Even after 75 years, these two attacks are the only times that any country in the world has detonated a nuclear weapon against another. Brian and John speak with Greg Mello, the Executive Director of the Los Alamos Study Group. 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. 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 huge number of coronavirus cases and deaths, the problem US media has with Russia getting to a vaccine quickly, Biden’s comments about the African American community not being diverse, and more. 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 Ted Rall. He’s an award-winning columnist and political cartoonist and you can check out his work at www.rall.com.Discussions between the White House and Congressional Democrats on a coronavirus relief package are on the brink of collapse, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi now saying that there may be light at the end of the tunnel, but that light may be an oncoming train. Even after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell relented on continuing the $600 weekly supplement for the unemployed, the White House and Democrats are so far apart that no coronavirus aid bill is expected at least through the weekend. President Trump yesterday issued executive orders that would ban popular apps TikTok and WeChat from operating in the United States if they are not sold to a US company in the next 45 days. The Wall Street Journal says that the executive orders are unprecedented in American history. Trump earlier in the week told Microsoft’s CEO that if the company buys TikTok, he expects “a great deal of money to go to the Treasury.” That, too, is unprecedented. John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations, joins the show. Yesterday was the 75th anniversary of the US atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima, Japan. And Sunday marks the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. The bombings killed as many as 226,000 people, almost all of whom were civilians. Even after 75 years, these two attacks are the only times that any country in the world has detonated a nuclear weapon against another. Brian and John speak with Greg Mello, the Executive Director of the Los Alamos Study Group. 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. 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 huge number of coronavirus cases and deaths, the problem US media has with Russia getting to a vaccine quickly, Biden’s comments about the African American community not being diverse, and more. 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 Pete Dolack, an activist and writer with Trade Justice New York Metro, who focuses on human rights, social justice, and environmental and trade issues and is the author of “It’s Not Over, Learning from the Socialist Experiment.”The so-called economic recovery has hit a roadblock with another 1.2 million Americans filing for unemployment benefits in the past week. And at the end of the week, the government’s $600 bonus to the unemployed expired. Meanwhile, farm bankruptcies rose eight percent over last year, a number that is lower than expected because of federal intervention. And in Washington, Democrats in the House and Republicans in the Senate are apparently no closer to a compromise on a new coronavirus relief bill than they were a week ago. New York Attorney General Leticia James tweeted last night that she would make a major national announcement today at 12:45. Well, she made that announcement. And it was that she would charge the National Rifle Association, the NRA, as a criminal organization. The Attorney General alleges that the NRA and four of its top executives mismanaged funds and violated both state and federal laws, resulting in a loss of more than $64 million over the past three years. Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers, joins the show. 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.Loud & Clear’s 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.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 Pete Dolack, an activist and writer with Trade Justice New York Metro, who focuses on human rights, social justice, and environmental and trade issues and is the author of “It’s Not Over, Learning from the Socialist Experiment.”The so-called economic recovery has hit a roadblock with another 1.2 million Americans filing for unemployment benefits in the past week. And at the end of the week, the government’s $600 bonus to the unemployed expired. Meanwhile, farm bankruptcies rose eight percent over last year, a number that is lower than expected because of federal intervention. And in Washington, Democrats in the House and Republicans in the Senate are apparently no closer to a compromise on a new coronavirus relief bill than they were a week ago. New York Attorney General Leticia James tweeted last night that she would make a major national announcement today at 12:45. Well, she made that announcement. And it was that she would charge the National Rifle Association, the NRA, as a criminal organization. The Attorney General alleges that the NRA and four of its top executives mismanaged funds and violated both state and federal laws, resulting in a loss of more than $64 million over the past three years. Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers, joins the show. 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.Loud & Clear’s 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.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 Rania Khalek, a journalist and political activist whose work has appeared in The Nation, The Intercept, Aljazeera, Salon, VICE, and elsewhere.Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, experienced a massive explosion yesterday that killed at least 100 people and wounded more than 4,000. The government said that a warehouse containing ammonium nitrate, the same compound that was used in the Oklahoma City bombing, was ignited after a neighboring warehouse containing fireworks or some similar explosives, caught fire. Many countries around the world have offered assistance, but aid will not help with the broken political system and dysfunctional government that allowed the accident to happen. Races in Missouri and Kansas saw upsets yesterday for both parties, as Rep. Lacy Clay, who replaced his father in a congressional seat in St. Louis, was ousted by progressive activist Cori Bush. Missouri voters also approved a referendum that would implement that toughest anti-abortion rules in the country. In Kansas, former Secretary of State Kris Kobach was defeated in the Republican primary for US Senate, virtually ensuring that the Republicans will retain the seat. Meanwhile, the Trump Administration sued the state of Nevada yesterday over the issue of voting by mail. Ted Rall, an award-winning columnist and political cartoonist whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show. The Council on Hemispheric Affairs, of COHA, yesterday published a report saying that a recently leaked document from USAID, the Agency for International Development, provides a glimpse into the breadth and depth of the US government’s policy and plan to interfere in Nicaragua’s internal affairs up to and after its presidential election next year. The Trump Administration’s policy in Nicaragua has been a simple one: to overthrow the government of President Daniel Ortega. Brian and John speak with Jill Clark-Gollub, assistant editor and translator at the Council on Hemispheric Affairs. There is no national testing plan for the coronavirus and no plans to implement one. As a result, seven states recently banded together to create their own. Maryland’s Republican Governor Larry Hogan negotiated the deal, which includes two other Republicans and four Democrats, when the White House refused to recommend national standards to combat the disease. They’ve already negotiated a deal with a testing company that can conduct a Covid test and provide results in 30 minutes. Dr. Jason Kindrachuk, an assistant professor of viral pathogenesis at the University of Manitoba and Canada Research Chair in molecular pathogenesis of emerging and reemerging viruses, joins 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.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, Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, and special guest Ian Zabarte, Principal Man of the Western Bands of the Shoshone Indians, the secretary of the Native Community Action Council, at NativeCommunityActionCouncil.org, and a leading voice nationally against the Yucca Mountain dump, join the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Rania Khalek, a journalist and political activist whose work has appeared in The Nation, The Intercept, Aljazeera, Salon, VICE, and elsewhere.Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, experienced a massive explosion yesterday that killed at least 100 people and wounded more than 4,000. The government said that a warehouse containing ammonium nitrate, the same compound that was used in the Oklahoma City bombing, was ignited after a neighboring warehouse containing fireworks or some similar explosives, caught fire. Many countries around the world have offered assistance, but aid will not help with the broken political system and dysfunctional government that allowed the accident to happen. Races in Missouri and Kansas saw upsets yesterday for both parties, as Rep. Lacy Clay, who replaced his father in a congressional seat in St. Louis, was ousted by progressive activist Cori Bush. Missouri voters also approved a referendum that would implement that toughest anti-abortion rules in the country. In Kansas, former Secretary of State Kris Kobach was defeated in the Republican primary for US Senate, virtually ensuring that the Republicans will retain the seat. Meanwhile, the Trump Administration sued the state of Nevada yesterday over the issue of voting by mail. Ted Rall, an award-winning columnist and political cartoonist whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show. The Council on Hemispheric Affairs, of COHA, yesterday published a report saying that a recently leaked document from USAID, the Agency for International Development, provides a glimpse into the breadth and depth of the US government’s policy and plan to interfere in Nicaragua’s internal affairs up to and after its presidential election next year. The Trump Administration’s policy in Nicaragua has been a simple one: to overthrow the government of President Daniel Ortega. Brian and John speak with Jill Clark-Gollub, assistant editor and translator at the Council on Hemispheric Affairs. There is no national testing plan for the coronavirus and no plans to implement one. As a result, seven states recently banded together to create their own. Maryland’s Republican Governor Larry Hogan negotiated the deal, which includes two other Republicans and four Democrats, when the White House refused to recommend national standards to combat the disease. They’ve already negotiated a deal with a testing company that can conduct a Covid test and provide results in 30 minutes. Dr. Jason Kindrachuk, an assistant professor of viral pathogenesis at the University of Manitoba and Canada Research Chair in molecular pathogenesis of emerging and reemerging viruses, joins 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.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, Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, and special guest Ian Zabarte, Principal Man of the Western Bands of the Shoshone Indians, the secretary of the Native Community Action Council, at NativeCommunityActionCouncil.org, and a leading voice nationally against the Yucca Mountain dump, join the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Professor Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism.”Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest Prof. Wolff.Several states have primary elections today with heavily contested races. In Kansas, former Secretary of State Kris Kobach, an immigration hardliner and failed candidate for governor, is now running for a Senate seat that has been Republican for 66 years. And in Michigan, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib is facing a stiff challenge from former Rep. Brenda Jones, an African-American woman. Meanwhile, Joe Biden still has not made a decision on his Vice President, with six vetted candidates still in the running. Biden apparently will now make a decision late this week or early next week. And concerns are growing over the political turmoil that could come from long delays counting mail-in ballots. Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare. He is a journalist and author of three books--The Frozen Republic, The Velvet Coup, and America's Undeclared War.The coronavirus continues to spread, with 35 states across the country logging more cases last week than the week before. President Trump, however, is insistent that schools reopen. With that said, some governors are ignoring the president and are ordering that students return to school online only. And in an interview yesterday with the news outlet Axios, the president insisted that the United States has the best coronavirus record in the world. Max Blumenthal, a bestselling author and journalist, whose latest film is “Killing Gaza.” He is also the senior editor of Grayzone and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels,” joins the show.Loud & Clear’s 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.Tuesday’s regular segment 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, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; special guest, Moira Casados-Cassidy, a member of the board of directors in the Denver Classroom Teachers Association; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Professor Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism.”Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest Prof. Wolff.Several states have primary elections today with heavily contested races. In Kansas, former Secretary of State Kris Kobach, an immigration hardliner and failed candidate for governor, is now running for a Senate seat that has been Republican for 66 years. And in Michigan, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib is facing a stiff challenge from former Rep. Brenda Jones, an African-American woman. Meanwhile, Joe Biden still has not made a decision on his Vice President, with six vetted candidates still in the running. Biden apparently will now make a decision late this week or early next week. And concerns are growing over the political turmoil that could come from long delays counting mail-in ballots. Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare. He is a journalist and author of three books--The Frozen Republic, The Velvet Coup, and America's Undeclared War.The coronavirus continues to spread, with 35 states across the country logging more cases last week than the week before. President Trump, however, is insistent that schools reopen. With that said, some governors are ignoring the president and are ordering that students return to school online only. And in an interview yesterday with the news outlet Axios, the president insisted that the United States has the best coronavirus record in the world. Max Blumenthal, a bestselling author and journalist, whose latest film is “Killing Gaza.” He is also the senior editor of Grayzone and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels,” joins the show.Loud & Clear’s 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.Tuesday’s regular segment 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, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; special guest, Moira Casados-Cassidy, a member of the board of directors in the Denver Classroom Teachers Association; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.