The transcript the White House released Wednesday morning confirms US President Donald Trump did ask his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former US Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. The July 25 phone call is reportedly what led a whistleblower to file a complaint against the president. It came about a week after the White House stopped nearly $400 million in military aid from being sent to the Ukraine.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced new sanctions Wednesday against entities he said buy oil from Iran in defiance of American sanctions imposed earlier this year. Several of the targeted entities are in China, the biggest foreign buyer of Iran's oil. However, it has been buying less from Iran and more from Saudi Arabia in recent months because of US pressure. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani addressed the United Nations General Assembly Wednesday, one day after President Trump called Iran one of the world's greatest threats. Several Western leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, have been lobbying for Trump and Rouhani to meet, which they hope could defuse the increasing tensions between Washington and Tehran. Rouhani has indicated he's willing to talk but only if Trump agrees to lift punishing economic sanctions it has imposed on Iran.
The British House of Commons will reconvene today after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament was ruled illegal. Earlier this month, Johnson called for a suspension of Parliament until two weeks before the October 31 Brexit deadline. On Tuesday, Britain's highest court ruled that suspending Parliament for five weeks was unlawful and had the effect of limiting debate by lawmakers on Britain's exit from the European Union. Opposition party leaders have called on Johnson to resign.
GUESTS:
Lee Stranahan — Co-host of Fault Lines on Sputnik News Radio.
John Kiriakou — Co-host of Loud and Clear on Sputnik News Radio.
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."
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