Media Monopoly Consolidation & Fed Reserve Board—Capitalism in the News

Loud & Clear

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
The hosts continue the weekly series looking at the economic issues of the day, including the orientation of Trump’s new Federal Reserve Chairperson, Jerome Powell. We also look at the rivalry between Comcast and the Murdoch-owned 21st Century Fox in their effort to further their media domination.
“The End of Policing”: a featured interview with author Dr. Alex Vitale. Recent years have seen an explosion of protest against police brutality and repression. Among activists, journalists, and politicians, the conversation about how to respond and improve policing has focused on accountability, diversity, training, and community relations. Unfortunately, these reforms will not produce results, either alone or in combination. The core of the problem must be addressed: the nature of modern policing itself. Dr. Alex Vitale, an associate professor of sociology at Brooklyn College, coordinator of the Policing and Social Justice Project, and member of the New York State Advisory Committee to the US Commission on Civil Rights, joins the show.
The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, threatened to take unilateral action against Iran after Russia vetoed a Security Council resolution condemning Iran for supposedly interfering in Yemen. Haley never mentioned US, Saudi, and Emirati involvement in the Yemen war or the humanitarian disaster that has taken place since the Saudi invasion. Brian and John speak with Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence.
The Supreme Court today will take up a battle between the government and Microsoft over the privacy of its customers’ data. The issue is actually very simple: Can the company be compelled to turn over to the government customer emails stored on overseas servers? Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower, joins the show.
Shelling and airstrikes continued in Ghouta, Syria yesterday, despite the ceasefire. Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that the United Nations has an unreleased report saying that North Korea is delivering chemical weapons to the Syrian government. Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins Brian and John.
Hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans are still without power five months after Hurricane Maria devastated the island’s infrastructure. But that hasn’t stopped FEMA from sending repair crews home after being paid for doing almost nothing. And the rapper Akon said today that his offer of philanthropic aid to restore power was rejected by Washington. Greg Cruz, an activist who recently returned from Puerto Rico where he was delivering aid and doing relief work, joins the show.
The Departments of State and Defense have reached a deal to spend $40 million to fight foreign government-sponsored propaganda with help from the private sector. The State Department’s Global Engagement Center, which was set up to counter Islamist propaganda, will now turn its attention to Russia. Brian and John speak with Randy Credico, an activist, a comedian, and the former director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice.