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Bolsonaro Victory Opens New Stage in Brazil’s Political Struggle

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by João Rodrigues, a longtime political activist in Brazil, and Aline Piva, a journalist and a member of Brazilians for Democracy and Social Justice.
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Far-right populist Jair Bolsonaro won the presidency of Brazil yesterday with 55 percent of valid votes cast. Thirty percent of Brazilians cast blank ballots. Bolsonaro is seen as a populist and has been compared to Donald Trump and to Philippines President Duterte. He also has spoken warmly of Brazil's 1964-1985 military dictatorship and said recently that he would have served in Hitler's army if he had had the chance.

Monday's regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights, and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.

Robert Bowers walked into the Tree of Life Synagogue on Saturday in Pittsburgh and opened fire with an AR-15 assault rifle. He's facing 29 felony counts, including 11 counts of murder with a hate crime enhancement and the Assistant US Attorney says that he will seek the federal death penalty. Bowers' virulently anti-Semitic online posts presaged the attack. Brian and John speak with Mindy Isser, a labor organizer and member of the Jewish community in the Philadelphia area.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that the number of troops the US is sending to the border in anticipation of a migrant caravan is up from the reported 800 last week to 5,000. They're joining 2,000 National Guardsmen already there. Meanwhile, Mexican officials say that the size of the caravan has dropped by half as some migrants are electing to remain in Mexico's southern Chiapas state. Jorge Barón, the executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, joins the show.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced this morning that she would resign from the leadership of the Christian Democratic Party in December and would not seek re-election as chancellor in 2021. The announcement was unexpected but comes in light of a resounding defeat for Merkel's coalition in recent regional elections in Bavaria. Activist and journalist Diani Baretto joins Brian and John.

The fight for stronger rent control in California is headed to the ballot box next week. Proposition 10 would repeal the state's Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, which strictly limits rent control in cities across California. It's blamed for the state having some of the highest rents in the country. Nathalie Hrizi, a public school librarian who ran on the Peace & Freedom Party ticket for state insurance commissioner in California in the last election and received over 5% of the statewide vote, joins the show.

Monday's segment "Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers" is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What's happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Brian and John speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book "Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto."

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