“Beto” O’Rourke Stands For ??? and Raises $6 Million in 24 Hours

Loud & Clear

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com.
Despite facing sharp criticism for his lack of specific policy positions, former Texas Congressman Robert “Beto” O’Rourke raised $6.1 million dollars in just 24 hours after announcing his run for the presidency, more than any of the other Democratic 2020 hopefuls. Meanwhile New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced her candidacy for president over the weekend, while former Vice President Joe Biden accidentally did the same thing before backing off and delaying an official announcement.
Yellow Vest protesters in France held demonstrations for the 18th consecutive weekend as clashes and police repression intensifies. French President Emmanuel Macron has steadfastly refused to change his economic policies. Gilbert Mercier, Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” joins the show.
Representatives of coup leader Juan Guaido announced new measures today to seize control of Venezuela’s assets based in the United States. Meanwhile, US-led sanctions are having a severe impact on the poorest and neediest Venezuelans. Brian and John speak with Gloria La Riva, the Director of the Cuba and Venezuela Solidarity Committee, who just returned from a month in Venezuela.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
The Hanoi summit between the United States and North Korea has ended without any agreements, and observers and commentators are speculating about what could happen next. Did the second summit set the cause of peace back or are both sides determined to make progress? Emanuel Pastreich, a professor and the founder and director of The Asia Institute, a pan-Asian think tank, joins Brian and John.
New Zealand continues to reel in the aftermath of a mass shooting at a mosque, unprecedented in the country’s history, that resulted in the deaths of at least 50 people. An Australian right-wing extremist was caught and has confessed to the massacre. Authorities are cooperating with law enforcement officials in a dozen countries to determine what motivated the shooter and with whom he may have cooperated. Dennis Maga, the president of First Union, a major national trade union, and Mike Treen, the national director of the Unite union, which represents workers in the fast food, cinema, and casino industries, join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.