Weekly News Roundup; Pentagon Paid Arms Industry Over $4 Trillion Since 9/11

The Critical Hour

Caleb Maupin, journalist and political analyst, joins us to wrap up the important stories of the week. The Pentagon paid out over 4 trillion dollars since 9/11, with the lion's share going to five major defense contractors. Also, the Kabul drone attack that killed 10 family members reveals no explosives in the target vehicle, and generals lied about Afghanistan for the entire period of the occupations.
Dr. Jemima Pierre, associate professor of Black studies and anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles, joins us to discuss immigration. A federal judge has blocked the Biden administration from continuing one of the Trump administration's most egregious immigration policies. Also, the Biden administration is being criticized for "cruel and callous" deportations to Haiti.
Jack Rasmus, professor in economics and politics at St. Mary's College in California, joins us to discuss economics. Retail sales are showing surprising gains, leading some to believe that there is a silver lining behind the recent dark clouds on the economy. Also, in the latest negative numbers, another 332,000 workers filed for unemployment benefits last week.
Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, and Mark Williams, writer, essayist, and former 30-year editor at Bloomberg News, come together to talk about domestic politics. Law enforcement is boosting security ahead of an upcoming right-wing political rally at the Capitol. Also, President Biden accuses 24 GOP governors of risking lives as a number of them threaten legal action over vaccine mandates, Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) decides to leave Congress, and Pennsylvania GOP state senators approve a subpoena for the personal information of voters.
Jim Kavanagh, writer at thepolemicist.net and CounterPunch, and Margaret Kimberly, editor and senior columnist at Black Agenda Report, join us to discuss this week's foreign policy stories. DOJ counsel John Durham brings charges against one of the lawyers who worked for the Clinton campaign for lying to the FBI. Also, Evo Morales makes anti-imperialist rounds in South America and the Caribbean, China throws a monkey wrench in US imperialism, and big tech companies make a fortune from the War on Terror.