The Critical Hour

Biden Transition Team Official Once Defended Dispersing Propaganda to Americans

"The head of the Joe Biden transition team for the US Agency for Global Media, Richard Stengel, has branded himself the 'chief propagandist' [and] urged the government to use propaganda against its 'own population,' The Grayzone reported.
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Leo Flores, Latin America coordinator for Code Pink, joins us to discuss US President-elect Joe Biden's appointment of Stengel to his transition team. A controversial figure, Stengel has made a number of statements that alarm civil libertarians, including urging the US government to "rethink" the First Amendment. 

Caleb Maupin, journalist and political analyst, joins us to discuss a recent Washington Post report saying that Beijing should not expect Biden to soften US President Donald Trump's hard-line against China. The article argues that the former vice president will likely work to enlist the aid of allies to continue Trump's China policies. 

John Burris, civil rights attorney, joins us to discuss the upcoming US Supreme Court hearing of a case from New York regarding COVID-19-related restrictions on religious services. The court previously elected not to lift such restrictions in Nevada and California. "The general question in all of the cases is whether government officials or judges should calibrate responses to the public health crisis," the New York Times reported Monday.

Dr. Clarence Lusane, author, professor and activist; and Dr. Kmt G. Shockley, professor at Howard University in the School of Education, join us to discuss the fight for racial justice in Brazil, a nation that is home to more people of African heritage than any country outside of Africa, and how the police killing of George Floyd in the US affected racial identity in the South American country.

KJ Noh, peace activist, writer and teacher, joins us to discuss a dangerous situation in the far east. A Friday Reuters report said, "China will strike back against any moves that undermine its core interests, its foreign ministry said on Friday after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Taiwan 'has not been a part of China.'" Can we avoid a dangerous armed conflict in the region? 

Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins us to discuss a recent warning by European Union diplomats that time is running out for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's administration to successfully negotiate a post-Brexit trade deal and that it may already be too late to ratify a deal if one is reached in the near future. 

Kathy Kelly, American peace activist and co-founding member of Voices in the Wilderness, joins us to discuss a November 12 meeting by the nations of the Group of 77 (G77) along with China regarding US sanctions against Iran. The G77 and China called for the US to immediately lift those sanctions in a statement that followed the 44th annual meeting of the group, which was held virtually due to COVID-19. 

Robert Fantina, journalist and Palestine activist,  joins us to discuss US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's scheduled visit to the West Bank settlement of Psagot. Furious Palestinian officials argue that the Israeli-operated winery he is scheduled to tour is near West Bank settlements, which are considered illegal by most of the world.

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