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Kavanaugh Sex Allegation; Cop Manslaughter Trial Day 1; US Cuts Palestinian Aid

On this episode of The Critical Hour, Dr. Wilmer Leon is joined by Michael Meltsner, Matthews Distinguished University Professor of Law and Attorney Barbara Arnwine, president and founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition to discuss the sexual assault case against SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
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Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is denying an allegation of sexual misconduct. Dr. Christine Blasey Ford alleges that Kavanaugh held her down, groped her and covered her mouth when she tried to scream when they were in high school in 1982. She also claims that she was in fear for her life. What does this mean for the nomination going forward? We'll deal with the politics, optics, and process of it all.

Opening statements begin today in the case of white Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke who fatally shot unarmed black teen Laquan MacDonald in 2014. In a city where police officers have been involved in dozens of controversial shootings without facing charges, the case against Van Dyke has taken on added significance. Relations between the police and residents, especially black residents, have long been troubled, and some people see the trial as a rare test of whether an officer can ever be held accountable for taking a life.

In an attempt to first punish and then pressure the Palestinians to accept the so-called peace plan, the US delivers $3.3 billion dollars in military aid to Israel while cutting all funding for Palestinian humanitarian relief through UNRWA. Also, the US and India signed a breakthrough security agreement on Sept 6th, cementing relations between the pair and unlocking sales of high-tech American weaponry worth billions of dollars to the world's top arms importer. Back in March, Saudi crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman came to the White House and President Trump was all praise for the prince and mentioned that the kingdom purchased planes, missiles, and frigates from U.S. companies worth $12.5 billion. What do all of these arms sales really translate into in the context of foreign policy?

GUESTS:

Barbara Arnwine — President and founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition, internationally renowned for contributions on critical justice issues including the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1991 and the 2006 reauthorization of provisions of the Voting Rights Act.

Michael Meltsner — Former Dean of Northeastern University School of Law, Matthews Distinguished University Professor of Law, and author of With Passion: An Activist Lawyer's Life.

Dr. Ameena Matthews — Senior Violence Interrupter whose job is to mediate conflict on the front end to stop the transmission of violence from one person to another. She has worked for six years with the Chicago Project for Violence Prevention's Ceasefire Program in the University of Illinois at Chicago's School of Public Health.

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