Democrats squared off last night in Atlanta for their fifth formal presidential debate. Ten candidates participated. Elizabeth Warren called for the expansion of the military, Joe Biden once again had an embarrassing performance and the MSNBC moderators set up an attack on Tulsi Gabbard. And as usual, critical issues were left out of this corporate media-controlled spectacle.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was indicted today on three felony counts of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. It is the first time in Israeli history that a sitting Prime Minister has been charged with crimes. The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, will now begin the process of stripping Netanyahu of his parliamentary immunity. Brian and John speak with Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and of "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five."
Today was Day 5 of the House impeachment hearings. Former National Security Council senior director Fiona Hill, a Russia expert, testified that it was Russia, not Ukraine, that meddled in the 2016 presidential election. And David Holmes, a senior staff member in the US Embassy in Kiev, testified about the presidential phone call that he overheard while in a restaurant there. President Trump, meanwhile, criticized Holmes on Twitter and called House Intelligence Committee Democrats “human scum.” Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Scott Warren, an Arizona public school teacher, was found not guilty in federal court yesterday on two felony charges of “harboring illegal immigrants.” What Warren had actually done was to provide food, water, and a place to sleep to two migrants who had crossed the border. He faced 10 years in a federal prison. Warren’s attorney told the court that “being a good Samaritan is not a felony. Practicing the golden rule is not a felony.” Kate Morgan, a longtime activist and volunteer with No More Deaths, the organization Scott Warren works with, joins the show.
The US Senate yesterday unanimously passed a resolution on Hong Kong that China says is a blatant act of interference in its internal affairs. The House later in the day passed an identical resolution by a vote of 417-1. The measure now goes to the White House, and President Trump has indicated that he will sign it. It would provide for economic sanctions against Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Trump tweeted yesterday that trade talks with China are not going as well as originally expected. KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins Brian and John.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
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