U.S.-Russia relations deteriorated yet again today as Russia announced it will impose sanctions on the United States in retaliation for the Trump administration's sanctions that were announced yesterday. What were the driving factors in the last few years that have led to such a dramatic souring of U.S.-Russia relations? Will this confrontation enter an even more dangerous stage?
Today is the 50th anniversary of the massacre committed by U.S. troops in the village of My Lai. Hundreds of civilians were killed, and caused worldwide outrage when it was uncovered. Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq is in Vietnam on an 18-day trip with Veterans For Peace and joins the show.
Reports of National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster's imminent departure-and rumors about his replacement by John Bolton!-have raised alarms that the Trump administration is sprinting down the path to war with Iran. Brian and John speak with Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist, and analyst specializing in U.S. national security policy, and the author of "Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare."
In the first full parliament vote of three, the Israeli Knesset initially approved the Basic Law on Friday. The bill has two more votes before being written into law, but is expected to pass. The law specifies that Israel is "the nation-state of the Jewish people" and a government minister called it "Zionism's flagship bill." Dan Cohen, a journalist and filmmaker whose work is at DanCohenMedia.com, joins the show.
The trial of DeAndre Harris, a Black man who was beaten by a group of white supremacists at the infamous Charlottesville "Unite the Right" rally, took place today. Even though Harris was the victim of a brutal beating whose video went viral, he was to be the one in court today on charges of misdemeanor assault. But after a short trial, he was found not guilty. Phil Wilayto, a journalist and a member of Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality who attended the anti-racist counter demonstration of the Charlottesville white supremacist rally, joins Brian and John.
Today continues Friday's regular segment about the politics of the day and the 2018 midterm election, starting with the razor-thin result of the special election in western Pennsylvania. Jacqueline Luqman, co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, joins the show.
Another Friday, another week of the 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 blog Left I on the News, which you can find at lefti.blogspot.com.
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