Unauthorized Disclosure

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola are joined by Aaron Maté to counter the media frenzy around Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the investigation into alleged election interference by Russia.

Maté addresses how politicians and commentators are comparing the information operation described in Mueller's indictment of 13 Russian nationals to Pearl Harbor or the 9/11 attacks. He recounts how Facebook investigated ads purchased by Russians during the 2016 Election but Democrats disapproved of the company's conclusions.

Much of the alleged scandal started with claims that Russians hacked the election, but now, it has shifted to Russians meddled by abusing social media to sway voters. Maté talks about the narrative and how U.S. media advances this narrative around Russia and the 2016 Election with extremely thin evidence.

Later in the show, Maté discusses how Democrats decided to pin their hopes of opposing Donald Trump to blaming Russia for Hillary Clinton's loss. He contends one of the consequences is suppressing anyone who challenges the Democratic Party—including the foreign policy agenda which both Democrats and Republicans support.











Direct download: S5E6-AaronMate.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:30am EDT

Host Kevin Gosztola interviews whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg about his recent book, "Doomsday Machine: Confessions Of a Nuclear War Planner."

Ellsberg, who is most known for leaking the Pentagon Papers, worked as a consultant for the Defense Department, and he even drafted a set of nuclear war plans for Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in the early 1960s.

His book recounts his journey as he discovered how close a nuclear strike by the United States government or a war between the U.S. and Soviet government could bring the Earth's population to near-extinction.

In the interview, Ellsberg highlights how he came to learn the military's estimate for how many hundreds of millions of people would die if a nuclear attack was launched. He describes how there was no way to call back pilots if an execute order was given. He shares how his father refused to be part of the production of the H-bomb and talks about how he had classified documents on nuclear matters, which he planned to release until they were tragically lost.

Direct download: S5E5-Daniel_Ellsberg.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:12am EDT

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola address a Daily Beast piece claiming to "expose" the Russian-funded Redfish, a grassroots media project where Khalek briefly worked. Khalek talks about the sheer disingenuousness nature of this attack. 

Later in the show, Khalek and Gosztola discuss recent airstrikes by the United States against pro-government forces in Syria and how the U.S. media went along with the idea that this was "self-defense." They also talk about President Donald Trump's desire to hold a gaudy and lavish military parade, as well as another news story about alleged Russian interference in the 2016 Election.

Direct download: S5E4.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:34am EDT

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola pay tribute to investigative journalist Robert Parry, who founded Consortium News and died recently. 

They also address President Donald Trump's plans to develop more nuclear weapons and the latest developments in NSA whistleblower Reality Winner's case.

And with great distress, they talk about Devin Nunes' goddamn stupid fucking memo — because they suppose they had no choice but to mention it.

Direct download: S5E3.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:28am EDT

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