On this episode of The Critical Hour, Dr. Wilmer Leon is joined by Daniel Lazare, journalist and author of three books: "The Frozen Republic," "The Velvet Coup" and "America's Undeclared War."
Former London Mayor Boris Johnson will be the new prime minister of the United Kingdom after being elected leader of the Conservative Party Tuesday. Polls ahead of voting that ended Monday showed Johnson with support as high as 70% in his party contest with Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt. Johnson will formally take over as prime minister Wednesday afternoon. He'll face the same challenges outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May failed to resolve in managing Britain's exit from the European Union.
The Justice Department is warning former Special Counsel Robert Mueller to stay within the bounds of his report when testifying in the House of Representatives this week. A letter to Mueller from the DOJ says that he should decline to answer questions on privileged matters such as investigative steps or decision making. It also notes that he should not testify about any redacted portions of the report. Meanwhile, Mueller's spokesman says he doesn't plan to stray from his conclusions in the report. That report outlined Russia's alleged efforts to meddle in the 2016 election. It also detailed possible instances of obstruction of justice by US President Donald Trump, but didn't make any decision about prosecuting those potential violations.
Venezuela has been hit with another massive blackout. More than half of the country's 23 states lost power on Monday, according to witnesses who spoke to Reuters and reports on social media, in a blackout the government blamed on an “electromagnetic attack.” What's going on here?
Undocumented immigrants who are in the US for a short time may be more easily deported by authorities under a policy expansion from the Trump administration. The Department of Homeland Security will issue a notice saying it's expanding "expedited removal," giving authorities permission to detain and deport immigrants quickly without having them see an immigration judge. Under the new policy, undocumented immigrants captured anywhere in the US within two years of entering the country can be deported without a hearing.
The federal budget is climbing higher after the White House and Congressional leaders reached a deal to raise the debt ceiling. The Washington Post is reporting that the two sides agreed to raise spending caps by $320 billion and increase the amount of money the government can borrow. The agreement covers the next two years and calls for spending on domestic and military programs to increase equally. By pushing the debt ceiling up, it ensures the government will have enough money to pay its bills until after the 2020 election.
GUESTS:
Daniel Lazare — Journalist and author of three books: "The Frozen Republic," "The Velvet Coup" and "America's Undeclared War."
David Schultz — Professor of political science at Hamline University and author of "Presidential Swing States: Why Only Ten Matter."
Teri Mattson — Activist with the Campaign to End US and Canadian Sanctions Against Venezuela.
Dr. Jack Rasmus — Professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of "Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression."
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