Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, joins us to discuss the surge of GameStop stocks. Reddit commentators acted in unison to affect the stock market in a sign that the occupy movement is moving online. Video game retailer GameStop saw a surge in stock value driven by investments from users on the subreddit r/WallStreetBets. The retail company was barely hanging on before online buyers set up a dynamic to drive the prices up and devastate the hedge funds betting on its prices to tumble.
Margaret Flowers, pediatrician, health reform activist and co-director at Popular Resistance, joins us to discuss a report on the dramatic undercounting of nursing home deaths in New York State. A breaking investigation by the New York attorney general shows that a random sample of data demonstrates that the number of deaths in nursing homes have been undercounted by as much as 56%. It also found that poor infection control practices and understaffing helped fuel the crisis.
James Carey, editor and co-owner of Geopolitics Alert, joins us to discuss F-35 sales to UAE. The Biden administration has halted sales of the new fighters to the United Arab Emirates in what is perceived by some as an effort to cripple their efforts to attack Yemen. Other analysts have suggested it is related to ensuring that Israel maintains air superiority in the Middle East.
Dr. Gerald Horne, author, historian, researcher and professor of history at the University of Houston, returns to discuss China. In his CounterPunch article "China: Enemy Du Jour? But Why?" Melvin Goodman argues China is simply a foil for US foreign policy declarations. Dr. Horne discusses the reasons the United States has set its crosshairs on China as the latest boogeyman.
Ricardo Vaz, political analyst and editor at Venezuelanalysis.com, returns to talk about Venezuela. The US media has refuted former US President Donald Trump's claims of election interference due to lack of evidence; however, they have repeated US State Department claims of election interference in Venezuela, despite both a lack of evidence to support the allegations and ample evidence to refute them. In an ominous sign, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki recently stated, “The goal of the United States is to support a democratic, peaceful transition in Venezuela through free and fair elections.”
Robert Fantina, pro-Palestinian activist, peace and human rights leader, journalist and author of “Essays on Palestine,” returns to discuss Iran. The Middle Eastern nation has indicated it will respond to the actions of the United States - not its words. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is indicating the US is not in a rush to return to the 2015 nuclear deal, and has implied the US may present requirements that Iran is clearly unwilling to accept. Is the Biden administration working to find a way out of returning to the deal?
Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "The Velvet Coup," joins us to discuss Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The newly confirmed official has indicated he intends to corrupt the Iran nuclear deal in a manner that will likely kill it. Also, Blinken has indicated he intends direct and dangerous confrontation with China, and has made concerning statements about expanding NATO and threatening Russian strategic interests in a way that risks military confrontation.
Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, returns to discuss social media censorship. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has indicated a further crackdown on his social media platform. He recently issued a statement in which he argued, “We're currently considering steps we could take to reduce the amount of political content in News Feed,” Zuckerberg wrote, adding, “One of the top pieces of feedback we're hearing from our community right now is that people don't want politics and fighting to take over their experience.” Zuckerberg said the company is planning a number of steps, including keeping civic and political groups out of recommendations and reducing the amount of political content in users’ News Feeds.
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