John Burris, civil rights attorney, joins us at the opening of the George Floyd trial. Derek Chavin, the Minnesota police officer charged in the killing of George Floyd, faces a criminal proceeding that will draw attention worldwide. Judge Peter Cahill started the trial by hearing a preliminary motion about what lawyers can say about George Floyd’s state of mind during the arrest.
Neil Clark, journalist and broadcaster, joins us to discuss Julian Assange. Stella Morris, Julian Assange's partner and the mother of his children, revealed that the Pope sent a private message to the beleaguered journalist. She would not reveal the contents of the message but thanked him for his concern. Also, there are reports from London that his legal team will be filing a special appeal today.
Daryl Jenkins, retired Chief Engineer in the Merchant Marine and a current fleet maintenance manager in the industry, joins us to discuss the shipping crisis in the Suez Canal. Shipping experts estimate that there are approximately 10 billion dollars in trade each day. As a result, many shippers started to consider alternative routes in case the canal is disrupted again.
Kevin Gosztola, the managing editor of Shadowproof.com, joins us to discuss internet censorship. Congress called in the heads of the US social media giants last Thursday and grilled them over the issue of online censorship. They argued for increased censorship and argued that the January 6th capitol protest was an example of why further crackdowns are needed. Also, Facebook has frozen the account of Iran's Press TV.
Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "The Velvet Coup: The Constitution, the Supreme Court and the Decline of American Democracy," joins us to discuss the Nordstream 2 pipeline. The fight between Germany and the US over the Nordstream 2 pipeline is really a battle over national sovereignty and imperialism. The US has inadvertently pushed Germany to join Russia in an anti-imperialist battle against US hegemony. The Biden team and the US Congress argue that they have the right and the political might to force Germany and, by proxy, any other European nation to bow to their whims.
KJ Noh, peace activist, writer and teacher, joins us to discuss the strategic partnership between China and Iran. The two nations have signed a historic 25-year deal that international experts have estimated could easily top a half-trillion dollars. China's entry into Middle Eastern affairs is a game-changer, and will likely affect America's ability to use violence and coercive measures to execute their foreign policy.
Netfa Freeman, host of Voices With Vision on WPFW 89.3 FM, Pan-Africanist and internationalist organizer, joins us to discuss the global south. Brazilian politician Lula De Silva has been cleared of the illegal plot which was used to remove him from contention for the nation's presidency during the last election process. The 74-year-old politician is extremely popular and, in light of the disastrous coronavirus response from the Bolsonaro regime, may have a chance of gaining the top spot.
Dr. Gerald Horne, professor of history at the University of Houston, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss Amazon employees' fight for union membership. The fight for unionization at the Bessemer, Alabama location has grand implications as workers nationwide await the outcome. There are reports that Amazon owner Jeff Bezos is pushing his executives to fight the process, as he fears that the move for employee representation will spread.
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