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 presidential race in 2020 and the Democratic primary, the president weighing in on the Golan region of Syria, and the floods in Southeastern Africa as a result of Cyclone Idai.
President Trump yesterday announced that the US would recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, reversing 52 years of US policy and infuriating friends and foes alike in the Middle East. Israel has occupied the Syrian territory since the 1967 war. Ariel Gold, a peace activist and the national co-director of Code Pink, joins the show.
Brazil's former president, Michel Temer, was arrested yesterday in Sao Paulo and charged with multiple crimes in a massive corruption scandal. His former Mining and Energy Minister also was arrested. Brazilian media say that the US Justice Department is helping Brazilian authorities with the case, which has been dubbed Operation Carwash. It is reportedly the largest corruption and money laundering case in Brazil's history. Walter and John speak with Aline Piva, a journalist and a member of Brazilians for Democracy and Social Justice.
European Union leaders yesterday agreed to a short extension of the deadline for Britain's withdrawal from the EU to give Prime Minister Theresa May and the British parliament more time to pass legislation. If May can persuade parliament to approve that legislation next week, the official Brexit date will be May 22. Co-host Brian Becker, who is in Brussels for the European Union summit, joins the show.
North Korea is withdrawing from a joint liaison office near the demilitarized zone with South Korea because the US last week put sanctions on two Chinese firms that had done business with North Korea. The North said in a statement that Pyongyang does not mind if the South Koreans continue to man the office. But North Korean officials have been withdrawn. Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network, joins Walter and John.
It's Friday! So it's time for the week's worst and most misleading headlines. Walter 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, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
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