Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola discuss reports that Russia is behind racism, xenophobia, and all other topics that divide Americans and stem from systemic oppression. They also talk about the referendum for independence in Kurdistan, the #TakeAKnee protests by NFL players, St. Louis police waging war on protesters, and more.

In a discussion, posted in addition to a conversation with host Rania Khalek about her reporting in Iraq, hosts Khalek and Kevin Gosztola talk about Hillary Clinton's incredible persistence (she just won't go away), Bernie Sanders' introducing a "Medicare For All" bill with the support of 16 Democratic senators, and The Intercept's coverage of Syria. 

We also introduce a new segment, where we roast someone on social media. 

Host Rania Khalek of the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast spent a week with the Yezidi Yezidi Popular Mobilization Forces in newly liberated south Sinjar in August. She learned many Yezidis join the PM to protect their families, defend their towns, and save those in their family captured by ISIS.

Khalek wrote about the stories she heard from Yezidis for "The Grayzone Project." Those she spoke with described tales of genocide and conflict to her, sometimes in utterly horrific detail.

We talk about her time in Iraq with the Yezidi PMF.

As Hurricane Irma hits Florida, we have an interview with Niecee X of the Black Women's Defense League about the organizing work the organization is doing to provide relief for those in the Houston area impacted by Hurricane Harvey. They are particularly focused on women of color and marginalized people, who are neglected and under-served after natural disasters.

During the discussion portion of the show, Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola talk about Hurricane Irma, Hillary Clinton's unwanted book tour, and North Korea.

In this abbreviated episode, the show highlights listener comments and covers President Donald Trump's decision to escalate the war in Afghanistan. Particularly, the show focuses upon how President Barack Obama kept the war going and takes to task Democrats who are meekly pledging to demand specifics to ensure Trump's strategy works. The specifics that matter are the statistics that reflect the human toll - the number of civilians killed, the children killed in airstrikes, the number of refugees who have fled, etc.

On this week's show, we interview Juan Demetrixx, an organizer of Howard University Resist, and Jared Ware, journalist and producer of the "Beyond Prisons" podcast. Demetrixx talks about what he witnessed on the ground in Charlottesville a little more than a week ago. Ware highlights Redneck Revolt, one of a large contingent of left-wing groups that was present in Charlottesville.

Later in the interview, Demetrixx and Ware share their perspectives on confronting or challenging white supremacists and the response of Donald Trump's administration to the violence in Charlottesville.

The second half of the show is spent reading a statement from Palestinian American activist Rasmea Odeh, who had her sentencing hearing in Detroit. The judge refused to let her read this statement. She will be deported. And also, we highlight a settlement in lawsuit against CIA torture psychologists and pay tribute to the black comic and civil rights activist Dick Gregory, who died on August 19.

Host Kevin Gosztola interviews Tom Secker, the co-author of "National Security Cinema: The Shocking New Evidence Of Government Control in Hollywood." The interview highlights a few examples of Pentagon or CIA influence, including "Contact," "The Interview," and "Hulk" in the Marvel cinematic universe. The two discuss the nature of national security cinema, how government agencies go to lengths to keep records on their collaboration with Hollywood secret, and why. They also get into the military's interest in demilitarizing or "civilianizing" movies.

This is is a snippet of Patron Exclusive content, which was recently posted. Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola discuss Venezuela.

The exclusive was recorded on August 6. The crisis in Venezuela continues to be intense. It has escalated sharply since the world rejected President Nicolas Maduro's call for a constituent assembly vote. Or to put it another way, since the opposition in Venezuela refused to participate in a democratic process and instead carried out another round of violent protests to further destabilize the country.

For access to the full discussion, become a Patron of our show.

Amal Saad, a professor of political science at Lebanese University and the author of a book called, "Hezbollah: Politics and Religion," joins the show to talk about Hezbollah and its role as a resistance army in Lebanon. Hezbollah recently liberated a part of Lebanon near the Syria-Lebanon border that was controlled by al Qaida.

We spend the hour with Saad, as she describes Hezbollah's history of protecting what it sees as the "Resistance Axis," countries in the Middle East which challenge the U.S. and Israel. She addresses the notion of sectarianism around the Shia crescent and outlines the reality on the ground — the demographics of people who truly faced violence and oppression for their identity and needed help to survive.

Later in the episode, Saad and Rania Khalek break down some of the key misperceptions the left has about identity, terrorism, and resistance in countries like Lebanon.