Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola discuss the protests calling for justice for George Floyd. They highlight some of the positive developments from the past week while offering an overview of attacks from police departments against protesters.

During the show, Rania highlights the issue of whether there may be a spike in the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of demonstrations. Both Rania and Kevin consider how the left may be blamed for a second wave.

Later in the conversation, Kevin and Rania highlight the federal government's response to the protests.

*Note* The first half of the show was recorded for everyone, and the last half is for only patrons. 

*This episode was released early for patrons.

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola welcome Matt Kennard, the head of investigations for Declassified UK, to the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast.   

Declassified UK is an investigative journalism organization that focuses on U.K. foreign, military, and intelligence policies.

Matt describes why he founded Declassified UK and some of the obstacles the organization experiences when it comes to challenging the British national security state. He outlines how The Guardian has transformed into a media organization more beholden to security agencies.

He highlights what he considers to be "third rail" subjects that "blue-check" progressives cannot "take a heterodox view" on and retain access to BBC shows or The Guardian.   

Later in the discussion, Matt shares his views on how Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the UK have handled the coronavirus response.  

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola welcome Anya Parampil, Grayzone contributor and host of "Red Lines." She joins the show to discuss Silvercorp USA and the planned mercenary invasion against Venezuela that failed spectacularly.

During the show, Anya highlights the players involved and what the United States government knew and/or should have known about former Green Beret Jordan Goudreau and his negotiations with right-wing opposition leaders, including Juan Guaido.

Anya suggests Goudreau wanted Silvercorp USA to be the next Blackwater, and later in the conversation, she talks about a contract that was apparently inked between Goudreau and opposition leaders.  

The conversation concludes with an update on how Venezuela is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

Last week's episode of "Unauthorized Disclosure" featured filmmaker Josh Fox, and Kevin Gosztola talked with Josh about the "Planet Of The Humans" documentary that Michael Moore posted to his YouTube.

Our interview with Josh was scheduled before the documentary stirred controversy among the climate movement, and we did our best to engage in a constructive critique of the film, even as Josh essentially endorsed censorship of the film by demanding Films For Action take the film off of their website.

There are a few problems we aim to address with this additional discussion. Rania Khalek had not seen the film so she was unable to join the conversation between Josh and Kevin. And in the past week, Josh has escalated his rhetoric and now contends the documentary features "fossil fuel talking points" and Michael Moore has essentially become the new flack for the oil and gas industry.

Rania and Kevin object to this label that Josh and other voices seem intent to pin on Michael Moore.  

In this discussion, Rania, who finally watched the film, offers her review, and Kevin adds some comments that he had difficulty expressing during the prior episode.

We both believe censorship is not the answer. If there is misinformation, let's address it. If the framing and the way the movement is covered is problematic, let's have a debate. But acting as if the filmmakers are engaged in personal and vicious attacks against climate leaders, when they have not displayed any malice, only serves to undermine solidarity that we need to confront an ever-looming catastrophe.

Or, as PEN America's Summer Lopez stated, "Calls to pull a film because of disagreement with its content are calls for censorship, plain and simple. Those who take issue with the film have every right to make their concerns and arguments heard, but first and foremost, the public also has the essential right to view Moore’s film and make their own judgements.”

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola are joined by filmmaker Josh Fox to discuss the coronavirus pandemic in the context of of the climate emergency we all face.

Josh is the director of "Gasland," "Gasland: Part II," and "How To Let Go Of the World And Love All the Things Climate Can't Change." He collaborated on a documentary on resistance at Standing Rock against the Dakota Access Pipeline that was called "Awake, A Dream From Standing Rock."

He currently hosts a show called "Staying Home."

In this interview with Josh, he talks about President Donald Trump's administration and the accelerated environmental deregulation occurring during the coronavirus pandemic.

He describes how COVID-19 showed the climate is making us sick and by going on lockdown lives were saved.

Later in the interview, Josh discusses what needs to happen in communities around the world after the outbreak. Kevin and Josh also have a bit of a debate on the documentary, "Planet Of The Humans."

Josh led a campaign that removed the film from Films For Action, which was a distributor for the documentary.

In this episode, Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola interview Ajit Singh, a lawyer and journalist. He recently had two articles published at the Grayzone and the Monthly Review on China's response to the global coronavirus pandemic. He tweets at @ajitxsingh.

For the Grayzone, Ajit highlighted how the United States pushed a conspiracy related to China's coronavirus death toll in order to deflect attention away from the failures of President Donald Trump's administration.

Ajit compared the response of China to the United States response in an article for the Monthly Review that was published on March 30. He contended COVID-19 has exposed the "bankruptcy of neoliberalism."

"After being demonized by the U.S. establishment as it came to grips with a previously unknown pathogen, China, led by its robust state institutions, has contained the virus with decisive measures and emerged as the global leader in providing medical aid and expertise to countries around the world," Singh recounted.  

"Meanwhile, having squandered the months to prepare bought by China’s disciplined approach, the U.S. government’s response to the pandemic has been woefully inadequate. Relying on the whims of the private sector and 'free market,' the U.S. is now suffering from the worst coronavirus outbreak in the world—with infections per capita currently six times greater than China."

Singh concluded, "In the wealthiest country in the world, families are pleading for donations to cover obscene coronavirus treatment costs while doctors and nurses are forced to wear garbage bags to protect themselves and patients amid widespread shortages of basic medical supplies."

During the interview, Singh unpacks much of the disinformation around China's response and discusses why the United States government feels so threatened.

For this week's "Unauthorized Disclosure" weekly podcast, Charles Derber, an activist and sociologist at Boston College, talks with Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola about responses to the coronavirus outbreak and how those responses further expose the nature of the United States' capitalist system.

Charles begins by sharing his personal experience with his students, who he is teaching through virtual classes. He describes what he believes younger generations are going through.

Rania asks Charles whether the pandemic may significantly alter the structure of the economy in the United States.

Later in the conversation, Kevin asks Charles about the frontline workers, who are part of "essential services." They explore the question of who deserves safety and who does not deserve safety and the ways in which people are coming to realize society does not value these lives. 

Host Rania Khalek left Lebanon and traveled back to the United States while the global coronavirus pandemic intensifies in the U.S. and throughout the world. Host Kevin Gosztola is sheltering in place in Illinois. Both are healthy, fortunately.

Rania and Kevin spend the show talking about the impact on them personally. That includes Rania highlighting what a relative who is a medical professional is enduring in this crisis.

They contend that the dramatic measures to lockdown the United States are crucial, no matter how much one cares about civil liberties. This has to be done, and anyone who tries to defy and flout the measures is extremely selfish.

Later in the show, Rania and Kevin talk about the coronavirus primaries. Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez and the DNC sociopathically pushed onward with primaries in Arizona, Florida, and Illinois and put lives at risk.

Kevin went out to vote during the pandemic, and he shares what he observed and why he organized against this criminal recklessness.

The show concludes with some discussion of more global issues, in Venezuela and Iran, and some discussion of what can and must be done to help people in these tumultuous and uncertain times.

***

We know these are highly stressful times and that some of you are just beginning to suffer from the uncertainty paralyzing our economy. We thank everyone of you who is able to remain a patron, and we will constantly find ways to show our appreciation for you as you keep this show going.

Soon there will be an announcement about a live show that will stream next week in the evening either on March 25 or 26. We will let you know as soon as we have exact details. But we will be taking any questions or comments you have for us.

In this week's episode of the weekly podcast, "Unauthorized Disclosure," hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola discuss the intensifying spread of the Coronavirus and its impact on countries throughout the world.   

Rania highlights the latest escalation in the war in Idlib in Syria and why it escalated.

Later in the show, Rania and Kevin react to the results from Super Tuesday and the power move the Democratic Party establishment executed against Senator Bernie Sanders, which worked incredibly well for elites.

The episode concludes with a debate: Kevin takes the position of an optimistic "Bernie Bro" while Rania articulates the view of a cynical person, who may still support Sanders but does not think there is any chance the Democratic Party will ever allow Sanders to have their party's nomination.