Unauthorized Disclosure

Journalist Roberto Lovato joins the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast to discuss his memoir, Unforgetting: A Memoir of Family, Migration, Gangs, and Revolution in the Americas. He also shares his view on what a Biden administration will mean for the communities documented in his book.

As Roberto puts it, from San Francisco to El Salvador his memoir shares a journey along a 2,500-mile chain of dead, forgotten, and devalued life. He travels in search of a better understanding of his personal past but also seeks a greater comprehension of the roots of violence.

Roberto outlines what happened with a gang truce between the MS-13 and 18th Street gangs that did not last and was not supported by the United States. He comments on what he found in his search for why kids join these gangs.

Also, amid a discussion of his book, Rania and Kevin talk with Roberto about Alejandro Mayorkas, who was part of the Obama administration and will likely be running the Homeland Security Department under Biden.

Mayorkas was involved in carrying out mass deportations during the Central American refugee crisis at the tail end of Obama's presidency, and as an official he had to co-sign several horrible anti-immigrant policies that Trump enthusiastically embraced. 

Direct download: robertolovato_UD.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:09pm EDT

Comedian Jamie Kilstein returns to the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast to talk about his new comedy album, "25 Percent Capacity," which was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic. He talks about muddling through the political landscape and writing personal and political material for the album.

Kilstein moved from California to Arizona this year, and during our discussion, hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola discuss what the left gets wrong about COVID. And what is the left? Rania tries to nail down our definition of this amorphous group of people to make it clear just who we're all really frustrated with.

Kevin talks with Jamie about what was lost already, and Jamie shares a story about a venue that shut down in Austin, Texas, where he performed.

Direct download: jamiekilstein_UD.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:25pm EDT

Kerry-Anne Mendoza, the editor-in-chief of The Canary in the United Kingdom, was targeted on Twitter and suspended. Her account has since been restored, but it was part of a larger campaign against left-wing voices in the UK. She joins Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola to discuss this censorship.

Throughout the show, Kerry-Anne contextualizes her experiences on Twitter by recapping what happened to Jeremy Corbyn, who came very close to becoming British prime minister. She describes the blacklisting of Jewish voices affiliated with the Labour Party because they support Palestinian rights and breaks down this weaponization of alleged anti-Semitism to suppress the left.

Direct download: kerryannemendoza_UD.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:07am EDT

1