Loud & Clear

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Cate Long of Puerto Rico Clearinghouse. Puerto Rico defaults today on over $1 billion of debt despite the poison pill “rescue” legislation passed by the Senate on Wednesday. Now, the colonial shackles will be tightened even more.Arch Neo-conservative Republican leader Robert Kagan is hosting a major fundraiser not for the Republicans but for Hillary Clinton. NeoConservatives ruled the roost under George W. Bush and now they see Hillary Clinton as the continuation of their hyper-interventionist dreamFrance’s foreign minister says sanctions against Russia should be lifted as soon as possible. Will European countries break free from US domination in their foreign policy.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined from Turkey by journalists to assess the aftermath of the terrible terrorist attack on Istanbul airport, as well as Turkey's steps toward normalizing relations with Israel and Russia.Turkey is reeling today from a massive attack on Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport that killed over 40 people and injured hundreds more. President Erdogan is talking tough but his reckless adventures make this kind of tragedy inevitable. The so-called Islamic State is the prime suspect - who facilitated their rise? Erman Cete, a journalist with SoL newspaper, joins Becker to discuss the tragedy. But on the diplomatic front, Erdogan has been forced to back down. In the course of just a few days, Turkey has normalized relations with Israel and apologized to Russia for the shootdown of one of its jets operating over Syria. Kemal Okuyan talks about if this is more theatre than substance. The world’s largest maritime war exercises kick off today. This is a Pentagon-led initiative but what are real politics of the Asia Pivot? Joining Becker to discuss RIMPAC is political analyst Alexander Mercouris.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, to discuss these troubling developments in Bahrian. The Bahrain Royal family’s crackdown and repression of a pro-democracy continues but the regime is backed by the US and Britain. The US 5th Fleet trumps democracy. Matthieu Bowla-Reba, the General Secretary of the CGT Union of Railroad Workers in Versailles talks about how for over four months French workers have shown such endurance in the face of stubborn politicians, brutal cops and a hostile mainstream media. Will the power of the people force Prime Minister Hollande to give in? The leaders of Canada, Mexico and the United States are meeting today in Ottawa for the annual North American Leaders’ Summit. TPP is on the agenda but the politicians don’t want tthe public hearing them. TransCanada, the Canadian corporation behind the infamous Keystone XL pipeline, is using a provision of NAFTA to sue the U.S. government for refusing its permit. Will corporate profit trump the environment and democracy? Joining Becker to discuss the issue is Dr. Margaret Flowers, a longtime environmental activist running as the Green Party candidate in Maryland for the U.S. Senate, and Bill Waren, senior trade analyst at Friends of the Earth.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by British politicians, activists and economists to evaluate the meaning of the stunning UK vote to leave the European Union.We are in uncharted territory - No country has ever left the European Union before. Prime Minister David Cameron has resigned, and Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn is facing a coup. Award-winning filmmaker and activist John Pilger discusses the future of British and European politics in light of this dramatic development.Jeremy Corbyn is facing a full-fledged coup as his opponents in the Blairite parliamentary Labour Party conspire to oust him in a confidence vote. Are other dramatic developments in British politics - like a new independence referendum for Scotland - possible? Brian is joined by former Member of Parliament and leader of the RESPECT Party George Galloway. Chaos reigns in global stock and currency markets. Traders were anticipating a vote to remain, but Brexit has badly thrown them off balance. Can the panic be contained? Head of the School of Economics, Politics and History at Kingston University London Steve Keen considers the economic fallout from the referendum.

On today's special episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker looks at the world oil market's rebound to nearly $50 a barrel. After dropping by more than 80% in two years oil prices are rebounding. This episode examines Saudi Arabia's economic and geo-strategic strategies and its deliberate plans to keep oil prices low, drive out shale producers, and harm Iran. He examines the impact of low oil prices on Venezuela and the underlying problems facing Latin America's largest oil producer.He is joined for the full hour by Ed Hirs, a lecturer in the Department of Economics at the University of Houston as well as Managing Director for Hillhouse Resources, LLC, and Zafar Bangash, the Director of the Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought and author of the book “The Doomed Kingdom of the House of Saud”. They discuss the oil bust of 2014 and why the Saudi monarchy and its allies decided that they would break with economic orthodoxy and keep pumping oil. What does the end of the oil bust mean for the Saudis and their geopolitical interests?

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker looks at the news that top members of the Senate want to give the federal government and intelligence agencies even more power in the wake of the Orlando massacre. Will Congress further expand the FBI’s ability to spy on people without a warrant? Becker is joined by NSA whistleblower William Binney and Julian Sanchez, a senior fellow at the CATO Institute, to discuss the latest intensification of the police state in America. Officer Caesar Goodson Jr., the driver of the police van in the infamous “rough ride” that killed Freddie Gray in Baltimore, has been acquitted of all charges. Will this cause the city to explode yet again? Eugene Puryear, activist and author, joins Becker to address if justice will ever be served in the death that brought about last year's uprising in Baltimore. The Supreme Court is deadlocked on the question of the White House’s deferred action program, letting stand a lower court ruling against these measures. Now four million undocumented parents are at risk of deportation. Becker talks with Jessica González-Rojas, the executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, about what's next in the fight for immigration reform.

On today's special episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker looks at today's referendum in Britain on whether the country should remain in or leave the European Union. He is joined for a full hour debate by three prominent figures from the British left: writer and analyst John Wight, who supports staying in the EU; as well as Alex Gordon and Robert Griffiths, both of whom work with the Left Leave (Lexit) campaign. The three discuss the nail-biter of a referendum and its potential impact on the workers of Britain. Would the country leaving the bloc lead to the downfall of David Cameron's government and the swift election of Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party? Or would a Leave vote embolden xenophobic and anti-immigrant organizations and right-wing populist parties? Can the EU be reformed from inside to become a vehicle for democratic and workers' rights? Or is neo-liberalism enshrined in its institutions? What are the lessons of Greece's struggle against austerity and the institutions of the EU? All these issues and more are discussed during the wide-ranging and sharp debate.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker takes a look at an earthshaking Supreme Court ruling that allows police to illegally stop, detain and arrest individuals without probable cause that they have committed a crime. He is joined by Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, executive director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, as well as Eugene Puryear of the Stop Police Terror Project to discuss the watershed Supreme Court ruling and the historic dissent offered by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina Supreme Court judge. Will Hillary Clinton accelerate the drive for regime change in Syria if she becomes President? A State Department document released last week calls for airstrikes against the Damascus government as a means to defeat ISIL, but would it bring the US to war with Russia and Iran? Becker is joined by political analyst Daniel McAdams to discuss the importance of the dissent within the State Department. A new corruption scandal in Brazil could implicate a third of the country's lawmakers. As the coup government of Michel Temer struggles for legitimacy in the eyes of the Brazilian people, what does this mean for impeached President Dilma Rousseff? Joining Becker to talk about these developments is writer and activist Kim Ives and Aline C. Piva of Brazilian Expats for Democracy.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by independent political commentator Wahid Azal. The two discuss authorities in Iran foiling what is being described as the “biggest terror plot” in the country’s history. Who could have been behind the planned attacks, and how might regional and global rivalries come into play? Donald Trump has said that the U.S. should openly embrace a system of religious, racial or ethnic profiling, citing Israel as a successful example of a country that uses such a system effectively. But is there already a system of religious and racial profiling in the U.S.? Becker is joined by Robert McCaw of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and author and cartoonist Ted Rall.The referendum in Britain on whether to leave or remain in the European Union is just two days away. Has the brutal murder of a Labour MP by a far-right gunman last week boosted the chances of Britain remaining in the EU? Joining Becker to speak to the issue from a left-wing Leave perspective is Eddie Dempsey of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) Union.

On today's special episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined for the full hour by Russian filmmaker Andrei Nekrasov. Nekrasov’s film, The Magnitsky Act -- Behind the Scenes, has caused great controversy by presenting a side of the story of Sergei Magnitsky seldom heard in the West. Nekrasov has been known for most of his career as a fierce critic of the Russian government, and was embraced by the pro-Western opposition. This has all dramatically changed with the release of The Magnitsky Act. Nekrasov attempted to screen the film in several European countries, but the film was blocked.The official story in the mainstream media about Sergei Magnitsky goes something like this: Magnitsky was a courageous lawyer, who uncovered huge government fraud that implicated members of the Russian government. He was imprisoned on trumped up charges, beaten and tortured in prison, and finally died as a result of this abuse and medical neglect about a year into his pretrial detention. However, Nekrasov’s film challenges this narrative. It argues that in fact Magnitsky may have been Browder’s accomplice in one of the largest cases of tax fraud in Russian history. Browder, with the help of his accountant Magnitsky, may have falsely claimed that they had taken a loss on what was in fact a tremendously profitable investment. In doing so, they might have been able to claim a tax rebate of $230 million.The controversy over Magnitsky’s death has had serious implications for U.S.-Russia relations. In the context of growing hostility towards Russia as their geopolitical interests came increasingly into conflict, the U.S. Congress passed a law in 2012 called the Magnitsky Act (from which the film takes its title). This law imposed sanctions on a wide range of Russian officials the U.S. government accuses of being involved in Magnitsky’s death.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Steve Hedley of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union (RMT) in Britain to analyze if protests will soon be banned in France. As President Francois Hollande refuses to back down in the face of a wave of strikes and unrest against his anti-labor law, he threatens to ban demonstrations citing the threat of terrorism. Will such a move backfire and ignite even more militant working class action?Was Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat killed? His widow believes so, and today a judgement is due in a French court on her challenge to have the investigation re-opened. Becker is joined by Dr. Ghada Talhami from Lake Forrest College to look at what the evidence suggests about Arafat's death and the road the Palestinian struggle has traveled since he passed away in 2004. Have activists in Los Angeles been getting arrested simply for criticizing the police at their commission meetings? Progressive organizations fighting police brutality say yes, and are galvanizing support for the seven activists who have been arrested since last fall. Joining Becker to discuss the movement against police brutality and spying in Los Angeles is Hamid Khan, campaign coordinator of the Stop LAPD Spying Network.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Sputnik International political analyst Dmitry Babich to discuss surprising visit of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to Russia. As Juncker meets with Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg today, the EU remains deeply divided and evidently tired of sanctions against Russia. Is there a thaw in EU-Russia relations?Also, the Libyan government is suing Wall Street megabank Goldman Sachs for $1.2 billion dollars, claiming that it used bribes to secure contracts in 2008. The case is in front of the London High Court, but White House fingerprints are all over the case. And the State Department is blocking the release of Hillary Clinton’s emails on the Trans-Pacific Partnership until after the election in November. Why is the Obama Administration so scared and what’s in these emails that’s so secretive? Becker is joined by executive director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF) Mara Verheyden-Hilliard and co-creator of the investigative website District Sentinel Sam Sacks.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker looks at the Senate and House vote on the 2017 military budget in the aftermath of the Orlando attack.The new House version of the NDAA allows for the detention of U.S. citizens without due process and both versions prohibit closing the Guantanamo Bay prison camp. Joining Becker to discuss the bill is Jeremy Varon, professor and activist with Witness Against Torture.Saudi Arabia's powerful new defense minister is in Washington for talks with President Obama, John Kerry and Ash Carter. Saudi Arabia is on the march in an aggressive economic, military, poliitical and religious foreign policy. How U.S.-Saudi relations are changing and continuing.Becker is joined by Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.NATO has announced that they are deploying four new battalions to the Baltics and Poland numbering up to 4,000 troops. Are there new divisions emerging from within NATO? What's next in the new Cold War? Mark Sleboda, international affairs and security analyst, joins Becker to discuss the NATO build up.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by NSA whistleblower William Binney to discuss if the the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history that took place over the weekend could have been averted. With a full blown surveillance state in operation, how do events like this keep happening? A climate of Islamophobia sets in after the attack in Orlando over the weekend. As Donald Trump stands to benefit from the fallout, many in the LGBTQ and Muslim communities are joining each other in solidarity. Becker is joined by Wilfredo Ruiz, Communications Director of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Florida, and by Sarah Sloan, the national staff director of the ANSWER Coalition.Bernie Sanders vows to fight on until the Democratic convention. Today he meets behind closed doors with Hillary Clinton. Would Sanders supporters accept the argument that they should support Hillary Clinton in order to stop Trump? Joining Becker to discuss Sanders' next steps is Sputnik News correspondent Cassandra Fairbanks, and Joel Segal of Progressive Democrats of America and the former senior legislative assistant for Democratic Congressman John Conyers.

On today's special episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker looks at protest movements unfolding across the globe.Five years ago in 2011, Time Magazine chose “The Protester” as its Person of the Year. This was on the heels of the Occupy Wall Street Movement and the so-called Arab Spring. In 2016, protests continue to rage across the world from France to Brazil and throughout the Unites States. Are we in a new age of protest, and possibly even revolution? Becker spends the full-hour looking at some of the world’s mass movements in the streets and what makes them similar -- or completely different. He is joined from London by Dr. Francisco Dominguez, the head of the Centre for Brazilian and Latin American Studies at Middlesex University; from Scotland by political analyst and author John Wight; in Washington, D.C. by activist Karina Garcia and labor organizer Estevan Hernandez from Sacramento, California