President Trump held a rally in El Paso, Texas yesterday that was meant to pressure congressional negotiators into funding his border wall. But things didn't work out the way he had expected. First, negotiators came to an agreement in principle to fund the government beyond Friday without any input from the president and without money for a wall. And then his rally was dwarfed in size by a competing rally across town held by possibly Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke.
Ilhan Omar is a freshman congresswoman from Minnesota. She's one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress and is the body's first Somali-American and first refugee. She's a strong supporter of self-determination for the Palestinian people. And last week she tweeted light-heartedly that much US support for Israel is a result of money injected into politics by AIPAC, the American Israel Political Action Committee. The condemnation was swift and strong. Omar apologized immediately. But what did she say that was wrong? Dan Cohen, a journalist and a documentary filmmaker, most recently of the film "Killing Gaza," joins the show.
The Defense Department announced this morning that US fighter jets attacked a mosque in eastern Syria that was being used as an Daesh control center as American-allied Syrian forces battled the extremists in their last stronghold in the country. Brian and John speak with Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria.
A regular Tuesday 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? Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury, the author of six books, and the host of a nationally-aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, joins the show.
A dozen leaders of Catalonia's failed 2017 independence bid have gone on trial in Madrid on charges that include rebellion and sedition. Several of them face up to 25 years in prison. The semi-autonomous region held an independence referendum on October 1, 2017 and declared its independence from Spain weeks later. Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek, join Brian and John.
Today's regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women's Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
Tuesday's weekly series is False Profits-A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
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