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Kushner, Inc.: Vicky Ward on How Jared and Ivanka's Greed & Ambition Compromise U.S. Foreign Policy
Thu, 21 Mar 2019 08:41:59 -0400
House Democrats are continuing to probe how President Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner received a top-secret security clearance despite concerns from the CIA. The New York Times recently reported Trump ordered then-Chief of Staff John Kelly to grant Kushner the clearance despite the judgment of intelligence officials. Kushner failed to report over 100 foreign contacts on his initial application for clearance, which was denied by the FBI after a background check into his financial history and contacts with foreign investors. Kushner later revised his application three times, and was ultimately granted permanent security clearance last May. We speak with Vicky Ward, the author of a new book uncovering details about how Kushner has continued to let the financial dealings of his family impact the policy decisions he promoted overseas. In one case, this almost led to a war in the Middle East between Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The book is called "Kushner, Inc.: Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump."

Anti-Government Protests Continue in Haiti; New Details Emerge About Role of U.S. Mercenaries
Thu, 21 Mar 2019 08:28:25 -0400
Ongoing protests are roiling Haiti, as demonstrators take to the streets to demand President Jovenel Moïse's resignation due to government corruption and mismanagement of the country's oil fund. The protests began in July, but Moïse is facing further scrutiny after five heavily armed Americans were arrested last month near Haiti's central bank in Port-au-Prince with a cache of weapons, claiming to be on a "government mission." The mercenaries were quickly sent back to the United States without facing criminal charges in Haiti, sparking outrage and mounting demands that the government explain why the men had been at the central bank in the first place. An explosive new investigation by Haiti Liberté and The Intercept has found that the mercenaries were at the central bank on a mission ordered directly by the embattled Haitian president. Their goal was to escort a presidential aide to the Haitian central bank as he transferred $80 million from the government's oil account to another account controlled by Moïse. This news comes as Haiti's Parliament has thrown out Prime Minister Jean Henry Ceant in a no-confidence vote. We speak with Kim Ives, an editor of Haiti Liberté and co-author of the new joint investigation with The Intercept.

The Hidden U.S. Air War in Somalia: Amnesty Accuses U.S. of Possible War Crimes for Civilian Deaths
Thu, 21 Mar 2019 08:14:30 -0400
Amnesty International is accusing the United States of covering up civilian casualties in its secretive air war in Somalia targeting the militant group al-Shabab. The U.S. has carried out over 100 strikes in Somalia since 2017. For years the Pentagon has claimed no civilians were being killed in the airstrikes, but the new Amnesty report found that at least 14 civilians were killed, and eight more were injured, in just five airstrikes. The overall civilian death toll is likely to be far higher. We speak with Brian Castner, Amnesty International's senior crisis adviser on arms and military operations. He helped write Amnesty's report, titled "The Hidden US War in Somalia."

Headlines for March 21, 2019
Thu, 21 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0400
New Zealand Outlaws Military-Style Weapons After Mosque Attacks, "Major Humanitarian Emergency" After Cyclone Pounds Southeast Africa, Three U.S. States Declare Emergencies as Missouri River Swells, Judge Halts Wyoming Oil and Gas Drilling, Citing Climate Change, Radovan Karadzic Sentenced to Life in Prison over Bosnian Genocide, Trump Administration Official Under Fire for Islamophobic Comments, Trump Travel Ban Prohibits Dozens from Attending U.N. Women's Forum, Trump Claims Mueller Report Should Be Made Public, Trump Assails Husband of White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway, Pentagon Watchdog to Probe Acting Defense Secretary's Ties to Boeing, Disney Completes $71 Billion Acquisition of 21st Century Fox, Kazakhstan's President Steps Down After Three Decades in Power, Morocco Begins New Round of Talks over Status of Western Sahara, Costa Rican Indigenous Land Activist Found Murdered, Guatemalan Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Anti-Corruption Campaigner, Lawsuit Charges Harvard with Profiting from Photos of Enslaved People

The Roots of Police Violence in Chicago: How Cops Have Targeted Communities of Color for Decades
Wed, 20 Mar 2019 08:49:30 -0400
We look at the long history of police brutality against Latinos in Chicago. Latinos, especially immigrants, have faced police violence and killings for decades, and have a long history of fighting back against brutality through community organizing and activism. But their stories have received little news coverage. We speak with Lilia Fernández, a professor of history and Latino studies at Rutgers University and the author of "Brown in the Windy City: Mexicans and Puerto Ricans in Postwar Chicago." We also speak with Flint Taylor, an attorney with People's Law Office and author of "The Torture Machine: Racism and Police Violence in Chicago."

The Torture Machine: Flint Taylor on Chicago Police Brutality from Fred Hampton to Today
Wed, 20 Mar 2019 08:31:29 -0400
We look at the Chicago Police Department's long history of violence against African Americans, from the murder of Black Panther Fred Hampton to the reign of torture overseen by commander Jon Burge. The brutality of the Chicago police force is laid bare in a new book by leading civil rights lawyer Flint Taylor. It's called "The Torture Machine: Racism and Police Violence in Chicago." The book exposes decades of corruption and cover-ups in the Chicago Police Department. We speak with Flint Taylor, who has represented survivors of police brutality in Chicago for nearly half a century.

Trump & Bolsonaro Join Forces to Back Regime Change in Venezuela & to Attack Media as "Fake News"
Wed, 20 Mar 2019 08:14:14 -0400
Brazil's far-right president and former Army captain Jair Bolsonaro visited President Trump at the White House for the first time on Tuesday. During the visit, Trump announced he would designate Brazil a major non-NATO ally, opening the door for Brazil to receive more U.S. military aid. Trump also suggested Brazil could even become a member of NATO. Both leaders criticized what they called the "fake news" and discussed increasing efforts to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from office. We speak with Maria Luísa MendonÃ§a, director of the Network for Social Justice and Human Rights in Brazil. She is a visiting scholar at the City University of New York Graduate Center.

Headlines for March 20, 2019
Wed, 20 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0400
Trump Hosts Brazilian President Bolsonaro, Threatens New Venezuela Sanctions, SCOTUS Rules Gov't Can Detain Immigrants with Criminal Records Indefinitely, 40-Year-Old Mexican Migrant Dies in Gov't Custody, Asylum Seekers Waiting in Mexico Return to U.S. for Hearings, Report: U.S. Airstrikes Killed At Least 14 Civilians in Somalia Since 2017, At Least 10 Migrants Drown Off Libyan Coast, Israeli Forces Shoot and Kill 3 Palestinians in West Bank, Egypt Cracks Down on Online Dissent, Russia Signs New Laws Censoring State Critics, Colombia: 2 Community Leaders Killed as Violence Against Activists Mounts, Trump Nominates Former Delta Exec. to Head FAA, Reports: Lion Air Flight Nearly Went Down 1 Day Before Fatal Accident, Texas: Massive Petrochemical Fire Extinguished After Smoke Blankets Community, Warner Bros. CEO Resigns, Accused of Advancing Career of Actress He Had Affair With, West Virginia AG Sues Church Under Consumer Protection Law, Mississippi Diocese Releases List of 37 Clergy Accused of Sexual Abuse, Pope Francis Rejects Resignation of Cardinal Who Covered Up Sexual Abuse, CA Jury Finds Monsanto's Roundup Guilty of Causing Man's Cancer, Mississippi Senators Pass "Fetal Heartbeat Law", Rutgers Faculty Union Authorizes Call for Strike, NYC: Immigrant Rights Activist Who Scaled Statue of Liberty Gets 5 Years' Probation, Okwui Enwezor, Noted Curator and Promoter of African Art, Dies at 55

The Military-Industrial Complex: Trump's Ties to Boeing in Spotlight Amid Probes of 737 MAX 8 Jets
Tue, 19 Mar 2019 08:51:31 -0400
The Trump administration's close ties to Boeing are facing new scrutiny in the wake of deadly plane crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia involving the Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet. President Trump has publicly praised Boeing hundreds of times in his two years in office and participated in efforts to sell its planes, including the 737 MAX series, to countries and airlines around the world. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg praised Trump's support at a dinner last August at Trump's Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, who was appointed by Trump, spent 31 years as a Boeing executive. And Trump's former U.N. ambassador, Nikki Haley, has been nominated to the Boeing board of directors. We speak to William Hartung, the director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy. His recent piece in The Nation is titled "A Former Boeing Executive Is Now Running the Pentagon."

ACLU: The U.S. Is Acting Like an Authoritarian Regime by Barring ICC Officials Probing War Crimes
Tue, 19 Mar 2019 08:32:57 -0400
The Trump administration has barred International Criminal Court investigators from entering the United States. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Friday that the U.S. will start denying visas to members of the ICC who may be investigating alleged war crimes by the U.S. military in Afghanistan. In September, national security adviser John Bolton threatened U.S. sanctions against ICC judges if they continued to investigate alleged war crimes committed by U.S. troops in Afghanistan. A 2016 ICC report accused the U.S. military of torturing at least 61 prisoners in Afghanistan during the ongoing war. The report also accused the CIA of subjecting at least 27 prisoners to torture, including rape, at CIA prison sites in Afghanistan, Poland, Romania and Lithuania. We speak with Jamil Dakwar, director of the Human Rights Program at the American Civil Liberties Union.

"They Are Us": New Zealand Mourns After Mosque Attacks Killed 50 Including Refugees & Immigrants
Tue, 19 Mar 2019 08:16:02 -0400
Burials are beginning in New Zealand as the country mourns the loss of 50 Muslim worshipers gunned down in two mosques in Christchurch by a white supremacist Friday. It was the deadliest attack in New Zealand's history. The worshipers killed in the Christchurch massacre came from around the world. Most of them were immigrants, or refugees who had come to New Zealand seeking safety. Six Pakistanis, four Jordanians, four Egyptians and at least three Bangladeshis are among the dead. The Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry said that six of the victims were of Palestinian origin. We speak with Eva Nisa, a lecturer in religious studies at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. Her recent article for Middle East Eye is titled "New Zealand has been a home to Muslims for centuries, and will remain so."

Headlines for March 19, 2019
Tue, 19 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0400
New Zealand Mourns Victims of Mosque Terror Attack, Calls for Support of Muslims, Lawmakers to Hold Hearing on Rise of White Nationalism, HuffPost: 7 Active U.S. Military Are Members of Far-Right "Identity Evropa", Mozambique: Cyclone Idai Death Toll Could Top 1,000, Nebraska: Flooding Submerges Air Force Base, NYT: Saudi Crown Prince Approved Campaign to Silence Opponents, U.N. Condemns Israel for Use of Lethal Force on Gaza Protesters, New Brexit Vote Blocked Less Than 2 Weeks from Deadline, France to Crack Down on "Yellow Vest" Protests, Dutch Police Arrest Suspect Who Shot and Killed 3 People in Utrecht, Mexico: Journalist and Radio Host Santiago Barroso Killed by Gunmen, Venezuelan Opposition Takes Control of Diplomatic Properties in U.S., Nicaragua: Police Arrest Over 100 as Protesters Call for Release of Political Prisoners, House Judiciary Cmte Receives 10,000s of Documents in Trump Probe, Report: U.S. Gov't Operates "Secret Shelters" for Unaccompanied Migrant Youth, Sen. Warren Calls for Ending Electoral College, Ex-President Bush Attends Naturalization Ceremony, Rep. Steve King Posts Facebook Meme Imagining New Civil War, U.S. Veterans for Peace Held in Ireland After Protest at Military Base

A Global Strike for Climate Change: 1.4 Million Students Walk Out of Class Demanding Action
Mon, 18 Mar 2019 08:53:25 -0400
Up to 1.4 million children around the world took part in a global climate strike on Friday to demand world leaders do more to address the dangers of climate. The mass protests were sparked by 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who has skipped school every Friday to sit outside the Swedish parliament to demand leaders act on climate change. Democracy Now! was in the streets of New York City on Friday with the young activists. We speak with 18-year-old Alysa Chen, one of the organizers of the walkout at New York City's Bronx High School of Science.

Former Neo-Nazi: President Trump May Be Complicit in Growing Threat of White Supremacy
Mon, 18 Mar 2019 08:36:38 -0400
President Donald Trump is refusing to acknowledge the global rise of white nationalism in the wake of the hate-fueled New Zealand massacre that left 50 Muslim worshipers dead on Friday. Police have arrested and charged 28-year-old white supremacist Brenton Tarrant with the killings. Before the attacks, Tarrant published a manifesto in which he praised Trump as "a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose" and described immigrants as "invaders." On the same day, Trump claimed there was an "invasion" occurring on the southern border, signing his first presidential veto rejecting a resolution reversing his declaration of a national emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border. We speak with Christian Picciolini, the founder of Free Radicals Project, a nonprofit helping people disengage from hate and violent extremism. He was a leading neo-Nazi skinhead and far-right extremist in the 1980s and '90s. He is the author of "White American Youth: My Descent into America's Most Violent Hate Movement—and How I Got Out." We also speak with Khaled Beydoun, a law professor at the University of Arkansas and author of "American Islamophobia: Understanding the Roots and Rise of Fear."

State-Sponsored Islamophobia & Trump's Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric Embolden Right-Wing Terrorists
Mon, 18 Mar 2019 08:28:33 -0400
Fifty people are dead, and millions around the globe are mourning, following the massacre at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Friday. The terrorist attack unfolded during Friday prayer, when a lone gunman and avid white supremacist opened fire on worshipers while live-streaming the attack on Facebook. It was the deadliest shooting in the country's modern history. The youngest of the dead is 3-year-old Mucad Ibrahim. Police have arrested and charged a 28-year-old Australian white supremacist named Brenton Tarrant with the killings. Tarrant published a manifesto praising President Donald Trump as "a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose." Trump has refused to acknowledge the global rise of white nationalism in the wake of the attack. We speak with Khaled Beydoun, a law professor at the University of Arkansas and the author of "American Islamophobia: Understanding the Roots and Rise of Fear." He says, "There's an underbelly of anti-Muslim animus that facilitates the emergence of the very brazen Islamophobia we see today, weaponized by people like President Trump or by terrorists on the ground in places like New Zealand who commit massacres like we saw on Friday."

After Deadly 1996 Massacre, Australia Overhauled Its Gun Laws. New Zealand Now Plans to Do the Same
Mon, 18 Mar 2019 08:12:45 -0400
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has vowed to change the country's gun laws following the deadly Christchurch massacre Friday that left 50 people dead and millions around the globe mourning following the massacre. The terrorist attack unfolded at two mosques during Friday prayer, when a lone gunman and avid white supremacist opened fire on worshipers while live-streaming the attack on Facebook. It was the deadliest shooting in the country's modern history. The shooter reportedly used five guns to carry out the attack, including two semiautomatic assault weapons. We speak with Rebecca Peters, an international arms control advocate and member of the International Action Network on Small Arms. She led the campaign to reform Australia's gun laws after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, when a gunman shot dead 35 people at a cafe. After the attack, Australia cracked down on gun violence, outlawing automatic and semiautomatic rifles. More than 640,000 weapons were turned in to authorities in a nationwide buyback.

Headlines for March 18, 2019
Mon, 18 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0400
New Zealand PM to Reform Gun Laws as Death Toll from Mosque Terrorist Attack Hits 50, Trump Denies Threat of White Nationalist Terrorism, WH Chief of Staff Mulvaney: "The President Is Not a White Supremacist", Trump Issues First Veto over Nat'l Emergency Resolution, "Clear Similarities" Found Between Ethiopian Airlines & Lion Air Crashes, U.S. to Deny Visas for ICC Investigators over Afghanistan Probe, The Philippines Withdraws from ICC over Duterte Drug War Investigation, Students Take to Streets for International "Youth Climate Strike", Extreme Weather in Midwest Brings Massive Floods, Kills 2 in Nebraska, At Least 120 Killed by Cyclone Idai in Zimbabwe & Mozambique, Indonesia: Flooding Kills At Least 77 in Papua, Israel: Court Bans Leader of Racist Far-Right Party, Overturns Ban on Arab Party, Denver: Immigrant Rights Activist Takes Sanctuary Again, Sues ICE, Kentucky: Judge Temporarily Blocks Draconian "Fetal Heartbeat Law", Bernie Sanders 2020 Campaign Staff Unionize, Sen. Gillibrand Launches 2020 Bid, Announces Rally at Trump Hotel

Journalist's Struggle to Find Bone Marrow Match Exposes Racial Disparity in National Registry
Fri, 15 Mar 2019 08:48:32 -0400
A nationwide campaign has been launched to find a blood stem cell donor for a 29-year-old journalist who was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia. Liyna Anwar is an Indian-American producer who used to work at StoryCorps. She desperately needs a stem cell transplant, but she does not match any of her family members or the 19 million people in a national registry. Her search for a match is made more difficult because South Asians are underrepresented in the national registry. A campaign urging people of South Asian descent to donate stem cells has been launched in Anwar's name. It's called #SwabForLiyna. We speak with her brother, Dr. Abbas Anwar, and an expert on acute myelogenous leukemia, Dr. Azra Raza. We also speak with Dave Isay, the founder of StoryCorps.

Anand Giridharadas: College Bribery Scandal Highlights How America Is Rigged for Wealthy & Powerful
Fri, 15 Mar 2019 08:35:00 -0400
As the fallout continues over the elite college admissions scandal that investigators nicknamed "Operation Varsity Blues," we speak with journalist Anand Giridharadas, author of "Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World." His book examines how the so-called elite class of America have worked the system to maintain and consolidate power and wealth, even while claiming to help people and "change the world" through charity. On Wednesday, Giridharadas tweeted: "The college bribery scam is not a college bribery scam. It is a master class in how America—governed by a cheater, ruled by rule breakers, managed by a class that confuses its privilege for merit—functions."

White Supremacist Kills 49 Muslim Worshipers in New Zealand as Islamophobic Hate Crimes Rise Globally
Fri, 15 Mar 2019 08:12:47 -0400
In New Zealand, a white right-wing extremist killed 49 people in an attack on two mosques in the city of Christchurch during Friday prayers. It is the deadliest shooting in New Zealand's history. Police have arrested and charged a 28-year-old Australian man named Brenton Tarrant with the attack. The gunman live-streamed the attack and published a manifesto in which he praised President Donald Trump as "a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose." We speak with human rights activist and lawyer Qasim Rashid, who recently launched a campaign to run for a seat in the Virginia state Senate. And we speak with Farid Hafez, a lecturer and researcher at the University of Salzburg, senior research fellow at The Bridge Initiative at Georgetown University and expert on Islamophobia.

Headlines for March 15, 2019
Fri, 15 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0400
49 Dead as Far-Right Shooter Opens Fire on New Zealand Mosques, President Trump Threatens Political Opponents with Violence, Connecticut Court Allows Sandy Hook Parents to Sue Gun Maker, Students Walk Out of Schools to Protest Gun Violence, Senate Rebukes Trump's Border Emergency Declaration, House Votes 420 to 0 to Make Mueller Report Public, Schoolchildren in Over 100 Countries Strike to Demand Climate Action, Swedish Climate Activist Greta Thunberg Nominated for Nobel Prize, NYC to Spend $500 Million Protecting Manhattan from Climate Change, Interior Official Hails Trump for Distracting Media from Drilling Plans, Irish Prime Minister Brings Boyfriend to Meeting with Mike Pence, Israel Bombs Gaza Strip After Two Rockets Fired Toward Tel Aviv, Tropical Cyclone Hits Mozambique, Already Hard Hit by Deadly Floods, British Lawmakers Want a "Brextension" on Plans to Leave EU, Brazil Marks First Anniversary of Marielle Franco Assassination

Until We Reckon: Mass Incarceration, Violence & the Radical Possibilities of Restorative Justice
Thu, 14 Mar 2019 08:41:20 -0400
A staggering 2.2 million people are locked up in America's sprawling prison system, and more than half of those currently confined in state prisons have been convicted of violent crime. In order to radically reduce the prison population and transform criminal justice in this country, author and community organizer Danielle Sered argues that reformers must reckon with violent crime and come up with radically new ways to address it. She lays out a path for this transformation in her new unflinching book, "Until We Reckon." Sered has spent nearly a decade working directly with people that have committed violent acts and survivors of violence as the executive director of Common Justice, a Brooklyn-based organization that offers alternatives to incarceration for people charged with violent felonies. Her experience anchors her book as she calls for a complete overhaul of the way we've been taught to think about crime, punishment and justice. We speak with Sered about restorative justice and how incarceration perpetuates the very violence it is meant to curb.

Impeaching Trump: Pelosi Says It's "Not Worth It," But Progressive Democrats Push Ahead
Thu, 14 Mar 2019 08:29:53 -0400
Democratic lawmakers are continuing to push for the impeachment of President Donald Trump, despite House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking out against impeachment in an interview earlier this week. Impeachment rumors have been swirling since the Democrats regained control of the House in January. Congressmember Rashida Tlaib of Michigan said last week that she will formally introduce articles of impeachment this month. We speak with John Bonifaz, an attorney and political activist specializing in constitutional law and voting rights. He is the co-founder and president of Free Speech for People, one of the organizations calling for Trump's impeachment.

Regime Change Via Sanctions? U.S. Uses International Finance System to Strangle Venezuelan Economy
Thu, 14 Mar 2019 08:15:03 -0400
Venezuelan officials say power will be largely restored in the country today after a week-long blackout across much of the country. The cause of the blackout remains in dispute. The United States blamed it on years of neglect of the Venezuelan energy system, but Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro accused the U.S. military of launching a "cyberattack against the electrical, telecommunication and internet systems." The blackout comes amid a growing political crisis in Venezuela as U.S.-backed opposition groups attempt to topple Maduro's government. On Monday, the United States announced it was withdrawing remaining diplomatic staff from its embassy in Caracas. We speak with Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research and president of Just Foreign Policy. His latest piece for The New Republic is headlined "The Reality Behind Trump's Coalition for Regime Change in Venezuela."

Headlines for March 14, 2019
Thu, 14 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0400
Trump Orders Boeing 737 MAX Planes Grounded After Fatal Crashes, Senate Votes to End U.S. Support for Saudi-Led War on Yemen, Pompeo Defends Support for Saudi Arabia Amid Reports of Torture, Senate Poised to Block Trump's National Emergency Declaration, Former Trump Campaign Chair Sentenced to 43 More Months in Prison, U.N. Warns Arctic on Pace to Warm by 5 Degrees Celsius by 2050, Spanish Investigators Link CIA to Attack on North Korean Embassy, Brazil: Two Gunmen Kill 8, Reportedly Inspired by Columbine Massacre, Nigeria: Lagos Building Collapse Kills 10 and Traps Schoolchildren, British MPs Reject "No-Deal" Brexit in Latest Blow to Theresa May, Senate Confirms Neomi Rao and Paul Matey to Federal Bench, ICE Using Vast Surveillance Database to Target Immigrants, Facebook Faces Criminal Probe for Sharing Private Data with Tech Giants, California Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs Moratorium on Death Penalty, Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke Joins 2020 Presidential Race, Activists Demand Cancellation of Puerto Rico's $72 Billion Public Debt

As Joe Biden Hints at Presidential Run, Andrew Cockburn Looks at His "Disastrous Legislative Legacy"
Wed, 13 Mar 2019 08:53:00 -0400
Speculation is mounting that former Vice President Joe Biden will soon enter the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. As a longtime senator from Delaware, Biden has previously run twice for the Democratic nomination. The last time was in 2008, when he ultimately became then-Senator Barack Obama's running mate. While a new campaign would seek to capitalize on Biden's two terms as vice president, it would also invite scrutiny of his Senate record in a Democratic political climate that is notably more progressive today than it was when Biden last sought the nomination. We speak with Andrew Cockburn, Washington editor for Harper's magazine. His latest piece is headlined "No Joe! Joe Biden's disastrous legislative legacy."

Cheating, Bribes & Lies: DOJ Charges Dozens of Rich Parents & Coaches in College Admission Scandal
Wed, 13 Mar 2019 08:36:38 -0400
Operation Varsity Blues. That's the name of a sweeping federal probe into what the Justice Department calls the biggest college admissions scam the agency has ever uncovered. On Tuesday, 50 people, including 13 college coaches, were arrested for taking part in a scheme where wealthy parents paid exorbitant bribes to secure spots for their unqualified children in elite schools, including Yale, Stanford, Georgetown, UCLA, USC and Wake Forest. Prosecutors have charged 33 parents, including Hollywood stars Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin; Loughlin's husband, the fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli; and Bill McGlashan, a founder of TPG Capital, one of the largest private equity investment firms in the world. We speak with Ivory Toldson, professor of counseling psychology at Howard University and president of Quality Education for Minorities. His new book is titled "No BS (Bad Stats): Black People Need People Who Believe in Black People Enough Not to Believe Every Bad Thing They Hear About Black People."

Ralph Nader's Grandniece Died in Ethiopian Plane Crash; Now He Is Urging Boycott of Boeing Jet
Wed, 13 Mar 2019 08:13:43 -0400
Calls are growing for the United States to ground all Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes in the wake of a devastating plane crash in Ethiopia Sunday that left 157 people dead. It is the aircraft model's second fatal crash in the past five months. An Indonesian flight of the same plane type crashed last October, killing 189 people. In response, two-thirds of the 737 MAX 8s have been pulled from service. At least 41 countries across the globe, from China to Turkey to India, have grounded their fleets of the aircraft until a thorough safety review is conducted. Despite international outcry, the United States and Canada are continuing business as usual. We speak with Ralph Nader, longtime consumer advocate, corporate critic and former presidential candidate. His great-niece, Samya Stumo, died on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. Nader wrote an open letter to Boeing titled "Passengers First, Ground the 737 MAX 8 Now!" And we speak with William McGee, aviation journalist for Consumer Reports. He is the author of "Attention All Passengers: The Airlines' Dangerous Descent."

Headlines for March 13, 2019
Wed, 13 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0400
Prosecutors Charge Actors, CEOs, Coaches in College Bribery Scandal, More Boeing Planes Grounded as Details of Technical Problems Emerge, California Gov. Gavin Newsom Announces Death Penalty Moratorium, Dems Seek to Expand Immigration Protections with Dream and Promise Act, Brazil: 2 Ex-Police Officers Arrested over Murder of Marielle Franco, U.S. Withdraws Diplomatic Staff from Venezuela as Blackout Continues, U.K.: Lawmakers Reject New Brexit Deal as Deadline Looms, Cardinal Pell Sentenced to 6 Years for Sexually Abusing Boys, Israeli Forces Shoot and Kill 2 Palestinian Men in West Bank, U.N.: At Least 535 Killed in December Attacks in Western DRC, Negotiators: Progress Made But No Deal After Afghan Peace Talks, Study: Pollution Disproportionately Affects Minorities But Caused by White People, Local Sheriffs Create "2nd Amendment Sanctuaries," Defying Gun Control, Dems Grill Wells Fargo CEO over Abusive Practices, DAPL, Private Prisons

The Fight for Hampshire College: How One School's Financial Calamity Exposes a Crisis in Higher Ed
Tue, 12 Mar 2019 08:43:30 -0400
Students and faculty are fighting to save Hampshire College from unprecedented financial crisis and potential collapse, following a series of devastating cuts and administrative decisions. In January, Hampshire College President Miriam Nelson announced the board of trustees and senior administrators would seek to merge the school with a "strategic partner." The announcement was followed by staff layoffs in the school's development and admissions offices, and news that the school would not be admitting a full class in the fall. We host a discussion with Hampshire professor Margaret Cerullo; Hampshire senior Desta Cantave, who is also a member of Hampshire Rise Up; and Hampshire College trustee William Null.

Justice for Stephon Clark: Protests Erupt as DA Fails to Charge Cops Who Killed Unarmed Black Father
Tue, 12 Mar 2019 08:32:53 -0400
Protests in Sacramento continue more than a week after the county's district attorney announced the two police officers who shot and killed 22-year-old, unarmed African American Stephon Clark in his grandmother's backyard last year will not face criminal charges. Since the news broke, organizers have joined walkouts at local colleges and high schools, demonstrations at the City Council, an ongoing occupation of a Sacramento police station, a die-in at UC Davis and a protest in one of the city's wealthiest neighborhoods that led to 84 arrests. This marks the 34th consecutive police shooting review in which Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert found that the officers acted legally, according to The Sacramento Bee. We speak with Berry Accius, founder of Voice of the Youth and a Sacramento community activist.

Trump's New Budget Slashes Medicare and Bolsters Military in an "Attack on the Poor & Middle Class"
Tue, 12 Mar 2019 08:20:36 -0400
President Trump is seeking $8.6 billion to fund a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, and an almost 5 percent increase in military spending. Meanwhile, Trump is calling for drastic cuts to domestic spending, including cutting $845 billion from Medicare spending over the next decade. Trump also wants to slash funding for the Environmental Protection Agency by 31 percent and the Interior Department's budget by 14 percent. We speak with David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter, and founder and editor of DCReport.org.

We Will See Trump's Tax Returns: David Cay Johnston Predicts Probes Will Uncover President's Secrets
Tue, 12 Mar 2019 08:13:26 -0400
The New York Times is reporting New York Attorney General Letitia James issued subpoenas late Monday to Deutsche Bank and Investors Bank for records related to the Trump Organization. This comes just weeks after Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen testified before Congress that Trump had inflated his assets in financial statements. New York state regulators subpoenaed the Trump Organization's insurance broker, Aon, after Cohen's testimony. The House Judiciary Committee also recently requested documents from 81 people and groups in Trump's inner circle. We speak with David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter, and founder and editor of DCReport.org. His most recent book is titled "It's Even Worse Than You Think: What the Trump Administration Is Doing to America."

Headlines for March 12, 2019
Tue, 12 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0400
2020 Budget Boosts Border Wall & Military Funding, Slashes Domestic Programs, NY AG Probe Targets Deutsche Bank's Ties to Trump Org., Rep. Pelosi: Trump "Not Worth" Impeaching, Algerian Pres. Bouteflika Will Not Seek 5th Term, Delays Election, U.N.: 2018 Deadliest Year for Syrian Children, U.N.: Airstrikes in Yemen Kill 22 Women and Children, Iranian Human Rights Lawyer Sotoudeh Sentenced to 38 Years, Colombia: Indigenous Activist Killed Amid Mounting Violence, Food Stamps Cut for 1.4 Million Puerto Ricans, Fox News' Tucker Carlson Calls Iraqis "Semiliterate Primitive Monkeys" in Surfaced Recording, Increasing Bans on Boeing 737 MAX 8 Flights After Ethiopian Airlines Disaster, Facebook Temporarily Takes Down Warren Campaign Ads Critical of Facebook, 2020 DNC Will Be Held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Olympic Athlete and Stanford Student Kelly Catlin Dies by Suicide

Greenwald: White House Spread False Story About Venezuela Burning Aid Trucks to Win Support for War
Mon, 11 Mar 2019 08:49:00 -0400
An investigation by The New York Times has found that several trucks carrying so-called humanitarian aid that were set ablaze during a showdown at the Colombia-Venezuela border last month were not caused by President Nicolás Maduro's forces, as was widely reported at the time by the media and Trump administration officials. We speak with Glenn Greenwald, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and one of the founding editors of The Intercept. His latest piece is "NYT's Exposé on the Lies About Burning Aid Trucks in Venezuela Shows How U.S. Government and Media Spread Pro-War Propaganda."

Glenn Greenwald: Chelsea Manning's Refusal to Testify Against WikiLeaks Will Help Save Press Freedom
Mon, 11 Mar 2019 08:41:05 -0400
Chelsea Manning has been sent back to jail after refusing to answer questions before a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange. Manning, a U.S. Army whistleblower, had been subpoenaed by federal prosecutors in Virginia's Eastern District to appear for questioning about her 2010 leak to WikiLeaks of hundreds of thousands of State Department and Pentagon documents about the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We speak with Glenn Greenwald, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and one of the founding editors of The Intercept.

"I Know No One More Patriotic": Daniel Ellsberg Praises Chelsea Manning After She Is Jailed Again
Mon, 11 Mar 2019 08:31:55 -0400
U.S. Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning has been sent back to jail after refusing to answer questions before a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange. Manning had been subpoenaed by federal prosecutors in Virginia's Eastern District to appear for questioning about her 2010 leak to WikiLeaks of hundreds of thousands of State Department and Pentagon documents about the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Manning was imprisoned from 2010 to 2017 for the leak. President Obama commuted her sentence before he left office. We speak with Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg about the significance of Chelsea Manning's actions.

Journalists, Lawyers & Activists Targeted in Sweeping U.S. Intelligence Gathering Effort on Border
Mon, 11 Mar 2019 08:13:58 -0400
Newly revealed documents show the U.S. government created a secret database of activists and journalists who were documenting the Trump administration's efforts to thwart a caravan of migrants hoping to win asylum in the U.S. An investigation from San Diego's NBC 7 revealed the list was shared among Homeland Security Investigations, ICE, Customs and Border Protection and the FBI. It included the names of 10 journalists—seven of whom are U.S. citizens—along with nearly four dozen others listed as "organizers" or "instigators." House Democrats are now calling for the full disclosure of the government's secret list. We speak with one of the activists targeted by the government, Nicole Ramos, director of Al Otro Lado's Border Rights Project. The project works with asylum seekers in Tijuana, Mexico. We also speak with Ryan Devereaux, staff reporter at The Intercept. In early February, he wrote an article titled "Journalists, Lawyers, and Activists Working on the Border Face Coordinated Harassment from U.S. and Mexican Authorities."

Headlines for March 11, 2019
Mon, 11 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0400
Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Crashes, Killing All 157 On Board, Judge Jails Chelsea Manning For Refusing to Testify About WikiLeaks, Trump to Request $8.6 Billion for Border Wall in 2020 Budget, 1000s More Could Join ACLU Lawsuit over Trump Family Separation Policy, House Passes Election Reform Act Despite GOP Resistance, NYT Report Contradicts U.S. Claim That Maduro Responsible for "Aid" Convoy Fire, Guaidó to Declare Emergency as NYT Reports U.S. Sanctions Exacerbate Blackout, Netanyahu: "Israel Is Not a State of All Its Citizens", Gaza: Israeli Forces Shoot Palestinian Protesters, Killing 1, Fox Host Under Fire for Saying Rep. Omar's Hijab Unconstitutional, Erik Prince Admits He Met with Trump Campaign in 2016, Ex-Owner of Spa in Sex Trafficking Ring Sold Chinese Execs "Access" to Trump, Sen. Warren Wants to Break Up Tech Giants Incl. Amazon, Facebook & Google

Lost Children Archive: Valeria Luiselli's New Novel Bears Witness to the U.S. Immigration Crisis
Fri, 08 Mar 2019 08:49:52 -0500
Days after Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen defended President Trump's declaration of a national emergency at the southern border, we speak with Valeria Luiselli about her new book, "Lost Children Archive." It chronicles one family's journey from New York to the southwestern U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona as the mother researches the plight of migrant children seeking refuge in the United States.

Debate over Ilhan Omar Highlights New Willingness in U.S. to Question Power of Pro-Israeli Lobby
Fri, 08 Mar 2019 08:31:08 -0500
Following a week of debate surrounding Democratic Congressmember Ilhan Omar's comments about U.S. foreign policy in Israel, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a resolution Thursday condemning anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim discrimination, white supremacy and other forms of hate. We host a discussion with Gideon Levy, Haaretz columnist and member of the newspaper's editorial board; Phyllis Bennis, a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies who serves on the national board of Jewish Voice for Peace; and Remi Kanazi, a Palestinian-American poet, writer and organizer based in New York City.

It's Time to Tell the Truth: Israeli Journalist Gideon Levy Supports Ilhan Omar's Critique of Israel
Fri, 08 Mar 2019 08:24:43 -0500
The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a resolution Thursday condemning anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim discrimination, white supremacy and other forms of hate, following a week of debate among congressional Democrats. The controversy began after some lawmakers accused Democratic Congressmember Ilhan Omar of invoking anti-Semitic tropes while questioning U.S. foreign policy on Israel. The House leadership initially drafted a resolution condemning anti-Semitism in what was seen as a direct rebuke of Omar. But many progressive Democrats said Omar, one of the first two Muslim Congresswoman in U.S. history, was unfairly being singled out. The split within the Democratic Party forced the leadership to withdraw its initial resolution and then present a much broader one. Congressmember Ilhan Omar voted for and praised the new resolution in a joint statement with fellow Muslim lawmakers Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and André Carson of Indiana. We speak with Gideon Levy, Haaretz columnist and member of the newspaper's editorial board. His latest piece is headlined "Keep It Up, Ilhan Omar."

Ilhan Omar in Her Own Words: I Know What Hate Feels Like
Fri, 08 Mar 2019 08:14:10 -0500
The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a resolution Thursday condemning anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim discrimination, white supremacy and other forms of hate. The vote was 407 to 23, with nearly two dozen Republicans voting against it. The vote capped a week of intense debate among congressional Democrats that began after some lawmakers accused Democratic Congressmember Ilhan Omar of invoking anti-Semitic tropes while questioning U.S. foreign policy on Israel at an event last week. Omar said, "I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country." While the media has largely focused on this single sentence in her remarks, few have heard her broader comments. We hear from Ilhan Omar in her own words, speaking last week at Busboys and Poets in Washington, D.C.

Headlines for March 8, 2019
Fri, 08 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0500
Former Trump Campaign Chair Paul Manafort Sentenced to 47-Month Term, House Condemns Anti-Semitism and Bigotry Amid Debate over Ilhan Omar, Venezuelan President Maduro Blames U.S. Sabotage for Massive Blackout, Israel Bans Coalition of Arab Parties from April Election, France: Archbishop of Lyon Sentenced for Child Sexual Abuse Cover-Up, Greenland's Melt Is Accelerated by Rainfall, Even During Winter, Chelsea Manning Jailed for Contempt After Refusing to Testify on WikiLeaks, Sacramento, CA: Protests Continue over Killing of Stephon Clark, Florida: Ex-Cop Guilty in Shooting Death of Black Motorist, Boulder, CO: Cop Filmed Drawing Pistol on Black Man Cleaning His Yard, NYC Drops Rape Charges Against Ex-Cops Accused of Assaulting Woman in Custody, Erie, PA: Union Workers End Strike at Wabtec Locomotive Plant, El Salvador Court Frees 3 Women Convicted of Having Abortions, Spanish Women Strike as International Women's Day Marked Worldwide

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