Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including U.S. cyber attacks on the Russian electrical grid and the latest US moves against Iran.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Former Vice President Joe Biden caused outrage when he fondly noted what he called the “civility” of the US Senate of the 1970s and 1980s by invoking by name two of the body’s most polarizing segregationists--Senators James Eastland of Mississippi and Herman Talmadge of Georgia. Is Biden trying to lose the Democratic nomination for President on purpose? Brian and John speak with Jacqueline Luqman, editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every week on Facebook and Youtube, and a journalist with The Real News Network.
The White House is actively considering launching airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities, according to press reports quoting Pentagon insiders. The plans are at an advanced stage and could be initiated at any time. Dr. Peter Kuznik, a professor of history and director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University and the co-author with Oliver Stone of the book and the hit Showtime television series “The Untold History of the United State,” joins the show.
Today is Juneteenth. It is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that Union soldiers, led by MG Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that all enslaved people were free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on Texans due to the miniscule number of Union troops in Texas to enforce the new Executive Order. However, with the surrender of General Robert E. Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance. C. R. Gibbs, an author and co-author of six books and a frequent national and international lecturer, joins Brian and John.
President Trump kicked off his reelection campaign yesterday with what was supposed to be a campaign rally in Orlando, Florida. In the end, it looked more like a white supremacist rally. Lee Stranahan, co-host of the Sputnik News program Fault Lines, joins the show.
The race to succeed Theresa May is entering a crucial stage. In the next two days, Conservative Party members will narrow the field of candidates to two, and party members will choose between them. The winner will become Prime Minister and will serve out the remainder of May’s term or until new elections are called, whichever comes first. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is still the frontrunner. But Rory Stewart, a virtual unknown, as shown the greatest strength and may actually have a chance to defeat the frontrunner. Brian and John speak with Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
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