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EU Leaders Grapple Over The Granting of an Extension of the Brexit Deal

On this episode of The Critical Hour, Dr. Wilmer Leon is joined by Brian Becker, co-host of Sputnik’s Loud and Clear.
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It is being reported by some outlets that the EU is preparing to offer UK Prime Minister Theresa May a two-month delay to Brexit — on the condition that MPs approve a withdrawal agreement next week, according to a draft of summit conclusions seen by the Financial Times. Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė told CNN that EU leaders have agreed in principle to grant an extension to the Brexit process, but have not finalized the length of the extension. What's going on in Brussels?

A Supreme Court examination of jury discrimination has prompted a rare question from Justice Clarence Thomas. The court seemed deeply troubled yesterday about the actions of Mississippi prosecutor Doug Evans, who has tried Curtis Flowers, an African American man, six times for a quadruple murder and has blocked the vast majority of black potential jurors. Also, the hour-long argument brought a surprise: a question from Thomas (do wonders never cease?). Flowers was tried in 1997, 1999, 2004, 2007, 2008 and most recently in 2010. Six times, District Attorney Evans, who is white, has attempted to convict Flowers in a prosecutorial pursuit that may be without parallel. Two trials — as it happens, the only ones with more than one African American juror — have resulted in hung juries. What is the significance of this case and Justice Thomas' question?

Question: who is Martin Gottesfeld? What did he do, and why is he in solitary confinement? Gottesfeld is a human rights activist facing up to 15 years in federal prison under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) for helping save Justina Pelletier. In 2014, Marty, as his friends and family call him, defended the life of then-15-year-old Pelletier as well as the rights of her parents. The Pelletiers had brought Justina to Harvard-affiliated Boston Children's Hospital (BCH) with a referral to see a specialist who had treated her before at nearby Tufts Medical Center. However, when Justina arrived, she was instead seen by a different set of less experienced doctors, who incorrectly challenged her existing physical diagnosis in favor of a mental one. They wanted to stop her pain and heart medications, amongst others. Marty worked tirelessly to end Justina's suffering and bring her home. Then, with many people fearing she would die before her previous treatments were restored, a note Justina had smuggled to her parents was published by The Blaze. A few days later, Marty knocked BCH off the internet during its largest annual online fundraiser, hurting no one. So why is a good Samaritan facing jail time?

GUESTS:

Brian Becker — Co-host of Sputnik's Loud and Clear.

Kim Keenan — Executive vice president of marketing and research at Odyssey Media, co-chair of the Internet Innovation Alliance and senior adjunct professor at George Washington University Law School.

Dana Gottesfeld — Wife of Marty Gottesfeld.

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