Loud & Clear

On today's special episode of Loud & Clear, host Brian Becker is joined for the full hour by David Dayen, writer for The Intercept, Salon and New Republic, as well as the author of ‘Chain of Title: How Three Ordinary Americans Uncovered Wall Street’s Great Foreclosure Fraud’. Dayen speaks about the economic legacy of President Obama, what gave rise to the foreclosure crisis, the meaning of robosigning, citizen activism in combating Wall Street, why there were no prosecutions of banks whose fraudulent practices helped evict six million families from their homes, and the true state of the economy in the United States.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, host Brian Becker is joined by author and activist Eugene Puryear to discuss President Obama's interview with the New York Times about his economic legacy. Is this reality or a fiction? What did he say? What did he not say? Why were Wall Street Bankers shielded from prosecution? Two prominent journalists are sentenced to two years behind bars in Turkey for using images of the Prophet Muhammad in their work that had appeared in Charlie Hebdo. Joining Becker to discuss the ramifications of the sentencing and the ongoing suppression of the media is Turkish journalist Kemal Okuyan, a regular contributor to SoL newspaper.Sunday marks International Workers' Day, a day that is marked as on official holiday in many countries around the world. However, many may not know that the day actually has its origins in the United States. Vijay Prashad, Professor of International Studies at Trinity College explains why May Day despite its origins was forgotten in the US.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, host Brian Becker is joined by Daniel McAdams of Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity to take a look at Donald Trump's major speech on foreign policy. With Trump fresh off sweeping all five states in Tuesday's northeast primaries, what did he have to say on matters of foreign policy? Who was his audience? The newest round of talks on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, or TTIP, is taking place in New York this week. But what exactly is the TTIP, and why are most of the negotiations being carried out in secret between the US and European Union? Becker is joined by John Hilary, the executive director of War on Want. The FBI is unlikely to tell Apple how they cracked the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino shooters after the Agency spent $1.3 million to have a third party unlock it. Joining Becker to discuss what’s next in the battle over privacy and encryption is private investigator Steve Rambam.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, host Brian Becker discusses the presidential primaries that took place in five states across the northeast last night, with Hillary Clinton taking four states and Donald Trump winning big in all five states. Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania all went to the polls, putting Clinton and Trump one step closer to securing the nominations for the Democratic and Republican parties. Becker is joined by professor and political commentator Dr. Tony Monteiro and Gloria La Riva 2016 Presidential candidate for the Party for Socialism and Liberation.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, host Brian Becker is joined by political analyst Issa Chaer of the Syrian Solidarity Movement to discuss President Obama's announcement that 250 U.S. special operations forces will be sent to Syria. What’s the game plan of the U.S in Syria five years after the start of the war?Bernie Sanders' support grows in national polls but today's primaries might tell a different story. On the Republican side, Senator Ted Cruz and Governor John Kasich have teamed up to try to deny Donald Trump delegates and force a contested convention. Journalist Sam Sacks joins Becker to talk about today's primaries, why the right-wing Koch brothers might support Hillary instead of the Republican candidate and whether Sanders supporters will move into Clinton's camp should she prevail.$400 billion down the Pentagon's spending rathole! The Senate armed services committee is holding hearings today on the massively over-budget and much delayed F-35 fighter program. The F-35 program has faced much criticism and is facing further overruns in time and cost. Is there a line at which this project could be scrapped? Is it a sign that the military industrial complex is out of control? Pierre Sprey, one of the designers of the F-16, talks to Becker about the program.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, host Brian Becker talks with journalist and political analyst Eric Draitser to discuss if there will there be a major new military intervention in Libya by western powers. As President Obama visits Germany today, he is set to meet with not only Angela Merkel, but the leaders of France, Britain and Italy to discuss ways to "stabilize" Libya. Are the lessons of the 2011 NATO bombing campaign going unlearned? Brazil sets up a special committee today to determine whether to go ahead with the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff. Journalist Pepe Escobar joins Becker to address whether this is simply a legal process initiated against corruption, or is a coup orchestrated by the super wealthy against the poor represented by the Workers’ Party.In the final segment, Becker is joined by distinguished author and historian Gerald Horne, who discusses his most recent books including "Paul Robeson: The Artist As Revolutionary" and "Confronting Black Jacobins".

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, host Brian Becker asks what's behind Russia and the United States meeting to discuss matters related to cyber security in Geneva, and why the U.S. seems to be downplaying the talks. Journalists Declan McCullagh and Dmitry Babich join Becker to discuss if it a sign of cooperation to come between the two countries, or if the new cold war will continue. The suppression of the media in Turkey continues. Days after Sputnik was shut down and its editor in chief deported, two journalists go on trial who revealed Turkey’s smuggling of arms to Syrian rebels. But is the west still ignoring the growing dictatorship under Erdogan? Turkish journalist Kemal Okuyan joins Becker to talk about the climate of repression gripping the country.At the age of 15, Omar Khadr became the youngest detainee at Guantanamo and the first minor charged with war crimes since World War 2. Now he has been released and a documentary film has been made about his story. Becker speaks with Michelle Shephard, one of the co-directors of "Guantanamo's Child", about Khadr’s life and struggle, and about why Guantanamo remains open.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, host Brian Becker is joined by journalist Roshan Muhammad Salih to discuss President Obama's visit to Saudi Arabia. Iran is high on the agenda, but so is the Senate legislation proposed by Democrats that would allow U.S. citizens to sue Saudi Arabia for possible involvement in the 9/11 attacks. Is the U.S-Saudi relationship experiencing serious friction?The Erdogan government in Turkey moves to shut down the Sputnik News hub in Turkey after the dramatic expulsion of Sputnik Turkey's editor-in-chief. Becker is joined by George Galloway, Ray McGovern and John Kiriakou to talk about what the latest suppression of the media in Turkey means. Britain gears up for the referendum on whether to leave the European Union that takes place in June with official campaigns launched last Friday for both the “Stay” and “Leave” sides. But there are other campaigns that did not receive official status in the campaign, such as the left-wing leave campaign dubbed “Lexit”. Alex Gordon, the former President of the RMT Union and an advocate of Lexit, joins Becker to discuss his views on the referendum.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, host Brian Becker analyzes the victories of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in the New York primary. Hundreds of thousands of voters, mainly young supporters of Bernie Sanders, were prevented from voting because of New York's onerous voter laws which disenfranchised 30% of the electorate. Unlike other states captured by Sanders in recent weeks NY State laws required independent or unaffiliated voters to change their registrations 193 days prior to yesterday's vote.Becker is joined from New York by Kazembe Balagun, journalist and political activist; Stewart Alexander, the 2012 Presidential candidate for the Socialist Party USA; and Gloria La Riva, the 2016 Presidential candidate for the Party for Socialism and Liberation.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, host Brian Becker discusses yesterday's Supreme Court hearing on whether or not President Obama’s executive orders on immigration are constitutional with attorneys Alan Diamante and Zak Wolfe. With a potential gridlock-looming at the Court after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, is there hope that the almost 5 million immigrants affected will be granted relief from deportation? The Democratic Party primary campaign is taking a crucial turn as New York State votes today. New York, a Democratic bastion and the state represented in the Senate by Hillary Clinton, could be a major turning point in the race. Having cut Clinton’s lead by half can Sanders realistically score an upset? And will that upend the Democratic contest? Becker is joined by journalist and political analyst Sam Sacks. With over 1000 arrests, two weeks of protests in Washington D.C. have put a spotlight on the corporate domination of US politics. Demanding legislators take action on money in politics and voter ID restrictions sweeping the nation. Could this be a turning point for the billion dollar American election process? Rachel Butler of Greenpeace and a key organizer of Democracy Awakening joins Becker to discuss the recent wave of protests and arrests.

On today's special episode of Loud & Clear, host Brian Becker is joined for the full hour by Baltimore mayoral candidate DeRay McKesson, who explains why he decided to run for office after being one of the most visible faces of the Black Lives Matter movement.Mckesson touches on a range of issues over the hour, including how he got involved in the 2014 protests in Ferguson after the police killing of Michael Brown, the growth of the new civil rights movement, his views on electoral politics, and what he would do if elected mayor of Baltimore.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, host Brian Becker discusses the South China Sea dispute that has heated up again with U.S Secretary of Defence Ash Carter announcing that the U.S and Philippines conducted joint naval patrols, followed by joint air patrols and the dispatch of US troops to the area. Joining him to talk about the issue is political analyst Dmitry Babich.The United States finally announces its Plan B in Syria. If the cease fire collapses, the U.S could soon begin supplying more powerful weapons to rebel groups in Syria, including anti-aircraft missiles. With peace talks just re-starting in Geneva on Wednesday, does the U.S. really want peace in Syria? Zafar Bangash, an editor of Crescent International, discusses these issues with Becker.Ukraine’s Parliament has approved the country’s new prime minister as Volodymyr Groysman after the resignation last weekend of Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who had been hand picked by the U.S. two years ago just prior to the coup in Ukraine. Political analyst Mark Sleboda joins Becker to discuss the reasons behind Groysman's selection.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, host Brian Becker is joined by analyst and writer Pepe Escobar to discuss the impeachment process that targets Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. They discuss why this is really a politically motivated coup by the right wing and the elites of Brazil against the Workers Party government. Escobar puts the Brazil impeachment proceedings in the context of the offensive against left and center-left governments in Latin America and the U.S. efforts to weaken the BRICS formation.Becker is joined by New York Assemblyman Charles Barron to discuss the controversial sentencing that is due to take place for a New York City police officer who was convicted of killing unarmed young black man Akai Gurley in 2014. Will justice be served at last, or will yet another police officer avoid jail time after killing a young, unarmed Black man? Thousands took to the streets of Manhattan last night for a rally organized by the Bernie Sanders campaign. With New York’s primaries less than a week away, can Sanders continue his momentum and do the unthinkable in defeating Hillary Clinton? Becker is joined by author and commentator Eugene Puryear in studio and speaks directly to people attending the Sanders rally in Washington Square Park in lower Manhattan.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, host Brian Becker talks with political analyst Dr. Issa Chaer of the Syrian Social Club about the elections happening in Syria today, the first in four years for Parliament. The elections take place as peace talks resume in Geneva with the aim of bringing to an end the five year war, and worries grow about whether al-Qaeda has acquired anti-aircraft missiles.New documents show widespread abuse at a “black site” operated by Chicago police. Some of the revelations show that prisoners were punched and tased After this newest evidence, is it fair to say that the Chicago Police were operating using tactics right out of the CIA Playbook? Joining Becker to discuss the issue is activist and author Eugene Puryear.Virginia’s governor took action this week to make it easier for the state to carry out lethal injections despite serious questions. Also this week Georgia has denied the appeal of a mentally incapacitated inmate on death row. Becker is joined by Robert Dunham, the Executive Director of the Death Penalty Information Center, to ask if the death penalty is barbaric and out of date.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, host Brian Becker is joined by former CIA analyst Ray McGovern to discuss Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk 's expected resignation today. This comes after he had narrowly survived a vote of no confidence nearly two months ago. Over two years after the coup in Ukraine, could the next Prime Minister actually be a U.S. citizen?It’s been 13 years since Saddam Hussein was overthrown after the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. Now the country is in fragments with the so-called Islamic State in control of large parts it. Becker speaks to Iraq war veteran and former Marine Michael Prysner about his experiences during the war, why he became an anti-war activist, and the current state of the country. The Obama administration deported 85 Bangladeshi Asylum seekers last week, raising questions about whether or not the War on Terror played a role in the deportations and if Obama has already instituted a “lite” version of Donald Trump’s policy of banning Muslims. Becker is joined by human rights attorney Chaumtoli Huq.