The Critical Hour

Derek Chauvin Guilty; Putin Annual Address; Xi Rebukes Unilateralism

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts in the death of George Floyd.
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John Burris, civil rights attorney, joins us to discuss the Derek Chauvin trial results. Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd. The jury deliberated for approximately one day, and found Chauvin guilty of all charges levied against him. 

Dr. Emmit Riley, political scientist and assistant professor of Africana Studies at DePauw University, joins us to discuss the Derek Chauvin trial. The discussion revolves around the current and long-term social and legal impact of the guilty finding. Is this example of police personnel testifying against a fellow officer a harbinger of things to come, or an anomaly that only happens in the most egregious examples of police misconduct?

Mark Sleboda, a Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss Russian President Vladimir Putin's address to the Federal Assembly. Putin's address focused principally on domestic issues, such as the coronavirus response and the prospects for subsequent economic recovery. However, he also urged other nations to refrain from crossing Russia's geopolitical "red lines."

Nick Davies, peace activist and author of "Blood on Our Hands, the American Invasion of Iraq," joins us to discuss Chinese President Xi's recent speech. Speaking virtually at the "Boao Forum for Asia," Xi's remarks that "no nation should dictate global rules or interfere in the internal affairs of other nations," was clearly directed towards the United States.

Gerald Horne, professor of history at the University of Houston, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss the America First Caucus. A movement for a GOP-led "America First" caucus in Congress is flailing, as major pushback has occurred shortly after its manifesto was revealed. The document has the appearance of a cookie-cutter GOP policy platform with a sprinkle of Trump-style right-wing populism. 

Chris Hedges, author, speaker, and investigative journalist, joins us to discuss his latest article "The Unraveling of the American Empire." Hedges argues that the pattern of stumbling from one military debacle to another is a sign of a crumbling empire. He sees Afghanistan as "one in a string of catastrophic military blunders that herald the death of the American empire." 

Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss Israel's attempts to stop the US from returning to the Iran nuclear deal. Israel's recent moves have been brilliantly countered by Iran in a dangerous chess game that has left America's Middle East proxy with few options. Iran's latest move to enrich uranium at 60% in response to Israel's attack on their Natanz nuclear facility has made it more important for the US to return to the agreement.

Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, joins us to discuss Caitlin Johnston's latest article on the CIA's influence on the media. Johnstone argues that the CIA no longer needs to infiltrate or influence the media because most of the media partners directly with the nefarious organization.

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