Unauthorized Disclosure

In this week's episode, hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola highlight some of what was said at the UN General Assembly, particularly by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump.

They, of course, spend some time on the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in which Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testified.

Later in the show, the hosts talk about Democratic candidate for governor in Florida, Andrew Gillum, and what he had to say about Venezuela. They revisit the issue of progressives being progressive except when it comes to other countries in the world.

Both share some personal updates during the show as well.

Direct download: S5E32-Kavanaugh_UNGA_ProgressiveExceptForTheWorld.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:53am EDT

In this additional segment from Mike Prysner and Spenser Rapone, hosts of the "Eyes Left" podcast, we talk about the U.S. military's colonization of sports, particularly the NFL.

Then we discuss the Veterans Affairs Department and why it is important to care about the dysfunction and systemic problems with the agency.

Finally, Prysner updates listeners on the status of "Empire Files" with Abby Martin. He is a producer on the show, and the show recently lost all funding from Telesur in Venezuela as a result of sanctions from President Donald Trump's administration.

Direct download: S5E31-BonusMaterial.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:38pm EDT

Hosts of the "Eyes Left" podcast join the show to talk about creating the conditions for more resistance within the United States military.

Spenser Rapone, known as the "Commie Cadet," spoke out for NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and expressed his support for left-wing politics. He was issued an other-than-honorable discharge nearly one year ago.

Michael Prysner is an antiwar activist, who enlisted in the military following the 9/11 attacks, and a producer of the "Empire Files."

Together, they share their thoughts on antiwar organizing under President Donald Trump and whether the terrain has shifted considerably since President Barack Obama was in office. They share their back stories, address the never-ending war in Afghanistan, discuss U.S. support for a right-wing coup in Venezuela, and more.



















Direct download: S5E31.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:30am EDT

In this week's episode, hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola discuss latest developments in Idlib in Syria, where al Qaida "rebels" face attacks from Syrian government forces supported by Russia. President Donald Trump's administration, especially through US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, has pounded the table constantly in the past week and threatened war if those forces are attacked.

Later in the show, the hosts talk about national security adviser John Bolton and his attack on the International Criminal Court. Particularly, the hosts focus on how the U.S. government has never really supported the court and Bolton is, for the most part, hostilely expressing a policy that has been long-held by the government.

Direct download: S5E30.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:37am EDT

In Part 2 of our interview with investigative journalist Yasha Levine, we discuss the power Silicon Valley corporations like Facebook, Google, Twitter, etc, are claiming to engage in censorship and how troubling it is to see liberals cheer corporations.

Later in the show, Levine recalls attacks he experienced for investigating the Tor Project, a popular tool for protecting one's privacy on the internet. He addresses the issue of journalists and how they should respond to constant surveillance enabled by tech corporations.

Levine argues there needs to be a political solution that shifts the culture around privacy, but that cannot and will not come from Silicon Valley.

Direct download: S5E29-Yasha_Levine_Part_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:50pm EDT

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola interview investigative journalist Yasha Levine about his book, "Surveillance Valley: The Secret Military History Of The Internet," which was released this year.

There are two parts to the interview. In Part 1, Levine describes how the origin of the internet is rooted in the United States military. It was developed for counterinsurgency and anti-communism efforts. This is a narrative that is typically missing when the history of the internet is told.

Later in the segment, Levine gives a brief history of Google and talks about the CIA's support for Google Earth. He also discusses the amazing power that Google's search streams give the corporation.

[NOTE: Part 2 will be posted for patrons later tonight. It will be made available for all listeners of the show on Wednesday.]

Direct download: S5E29-Yasha_Levine.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:40am EDT

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola spend most of the episode assessing the media coverage of John McCain's death from brain cancer. They focus on the myth of McCain that was promoted and pretty much adopted across the spectrum from Republicans to progressive Democrats.

They read a few examples of the worst hagiography. Like did you know he wasn't only a "war hero" but also a "climate hero"? And he was even an "anti-racist hero" too?

Toward the end of the episode, Gosztola talks about the national prison strike, and in particular, media coverage by the Marshall Project that promoted the organization's bias against prisoner-led resistance.

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Thank you to our patrons. At the end of August, we had 182 patrons. We're 18 patrons shy of our goal of 200 patrons. We believe we can get there by October. And we'll plan a special edition for patrons if we reach this goal.

Direct download: S5E28John_McCain_Died_For_Our_Sins.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:20am EDT

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