Unauthorized Disclosure

Ben Norton of The Grayzone joins Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola for this week's edition of the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast.  

He speaks to us from Ecuador about the election results, where President Lenin Moreno's party was absolutely trounced. The left-wing candidate Andrés Arauz won by a wide margin, but he did not secure enough of the vote to avoid a runoff.   

As Ben
outlines, a US-backed coalition is forming around a pseudo-left candidate named Yaku Pérez, who is controlled opposition. Pérez identifies with the US and other neoliberal institutions of power that threaten the well-being of Ecuadorians.   

Later in the show, Ben addresses some recent stories involving Chile, Nicaragua, and Brazil—all of which illustrate the US government's continued commitment to crushing the so-called Pink Tide in Latin America as it surges back into power throughout the region.

Direct download: S8E5.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:14am EDT

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola kick off the episode with a conversation about how they're faring during the COVID-19 pandemic, as we are right around the one-year anniversary of the world shutting down.   

Rania and Kevin provide an update on the latest round of censorship. Team YouTube demonetized The Convo Couch, Progressive Soapbox, Graham Elwood, and Ford Fischer. They spend time on the justification Fischer received from YouTube for their action.   

Later in the episode, Rania and Kevin play several clips and cover the Senate hearing for the nominee for deputy Pentagon secretary, Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot's national media campaign against the Chicago Teachers Union, and a jaw-dropping Fox News segment on Guantanamo Bay prisoners.

Direct download: S8E3.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:50am EDT

For this week's episode, Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola welcome Briahna Joy Gray, who is a co-host of the Bad Faith podcast and a former press secretary for Bernie Sanders.

Briahna talks with Rania and Kevin about the aftermath of #ForceTheVote and her attempt to have a good faith debate with The Majority Report's Sam Seder.

We ask her about the unwillingness of progressive Democrats to challenge the Democratic Party establishment, especially when it comes to third party campaigns outside of the Democratic Party.

Later in the episode, Rania and Kevin discuss the unwillingness among many left-leaning pundits to reach out to working class people who are likely open to progressive, or even socialist ideas.

We also raise the issue of political voids created by many of these same commentators who will not speak on matters that wind up becoming conservative or right-wing libertarian issues when they dismiss them as unimportant. 

Direct download: briahnajoygrayedit.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:22am EDT

In this episode of "Unauthorized Disclosure" for subscribers, Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola play clips from the Senate confirmation hearing for Secretary of State nominee Antony Blinken. They highlight his support for military interventions and regime change policies in countries like Libya, Venezuela, and Ukraine.  

***This is a preview clip. Become a subscriber at Rokfin.com to unlock access to the full episode.***

Direct download: S8E2-AntonyBlinken_Clip.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:35am EDT

Journalist Yasha Levine, the author of "Surveillance Valley: The Secret Military History of the Internet," joins the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast to discuss the final days of President Donald Trump's administration and what we can expect from monopolistic tech companies under President Joe Biden.

Yasha comments on the removal of Trump from Twitter and describes why he believes Section 230 should be abolished.

Throughout the episode, Yasha grapples with the limits of social media when it comes to politics and organizing communities.

Direct download: S8E1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:40pm EDT

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