Today is the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. We'll take a look at Dr. King's legacy, his fight for peace, for the poor, for education, and for economic integration for all. And what if Dr. King had lived? What would America look like today?
Wednesday is the regular segment looking at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today is focused on the potential shutdown of several reactors in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
President Trump said repeatedly this week that he wanted to pull US troops out of Syria, only to have the Pentagon push back and the White House release a vague statement declaring their intent to withdraw at an undefined time. Meanwhile, the leaders of Russia, Turkey, and Iran are meeting in Ankara to talk about the future of Syria. Brian and John speak with Ambassador Peter Ford, the former British Ambassador to Syria.
China today announced an additional $50 billion in tariffs on US goods, in response to President Trump's decision to impose an additional $50 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods two days ago. The tit-for-tat initiated by Trump two weeks ago caused the stock market to drop 480 points at the open today. Steve Keen, the author of "Debunking Economics" and the world's first crowdfunded economist whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, and Pete Dolack, an activist and writer with Trade Justice New York Metro, who focuses on human rights, social justice, and environmental and trade issues, and the author of "It's Not Over, Learning from the Socialist Experiment," join the show.
Brazilian General Luis Gonzaga Schroeder Lessa told reporters today that if the Federal Superior Tribunal, the Supreme Court, did not give the green light to the imprisonment of former President Ignacio Lula da Silva, the only alternative would be military intervention. This is the clearest and most public threat of a military coup in Brazil in decades. As of 3:00 this afternoon, the Brazilian Supreme Court is in session and deliberating on the matter. Arnold August, a lecturer, journalist, and author of the book "Cuba and the US in the Age of Trump," joins Brian and John.
Key provisions of the Clean Water Act are now under the control of one person at the Environmental Protection Agency--Administrator Scott Pruitt, according to a leaked memo. In the new memo, Pruitt says that he, and he alone, will make all final decisions over the protection of streams, rivers, ponds, and wetlands. Scott Edwards, co-director of the Food & Water Justice project at Food & Water Watch and an attorney who has prosecuted US energy companies for contamination of waterways and worked against factory farms in both North Carolina and the Chesapeake region, joins the show.
The White House said Tuesday that President Trump will order the National Guard to the border with Mexico to confront what he calls a growing threat from immigrants, drugs, and crime. Trump also will ask Congress for new legislation to block immigrants and asylum seekers. Brian and John speak with Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos.
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