British politics are in a state of crisis. Prime Minister Boris Johnson lost his parliamentary majority yesterday when, during his first Prime Minister’s Questions session, one of his members stood up, walked over to the Liberal Democrats, and switched parties.
Johnson is now calling for new elections, but Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has said he won’t back a new election until a Brexit delay is voted on.
Jeremy Hammond, an Anonymous hacker who was set up by law enforcement, is on his way back to the notorious Eastern District of Virginia, as authorities there apparently will try to force him to testify against Wikileaks cofounder Julian Assange. Hammond’s supporters report that he was recently moved from a medium-security prison in Tennessee to a Bureau of Prisons transportation hub in Oklahoma City and is on his way to Alexandria, Virginia. Hammond has been steadfast in his refusal to testify against anybody at any stage of his involvement with the federal legal system. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, joins the show.
Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, said in a televised speech today that she is withdrawing the controversial extradition bill that set off months of ever-growing protests on the island. The move marks a major concession to demonstrators, although some protest leaders are saying that the bill’s withdrawal is not enough. They are now calling for the release of all protestors and for direct elections in Hong Kong. Brian and John speak with Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
Defence Department officials announced yesterday that they would delay or suspend 127 military construction projects so that $3.6 billion could be diverted to pay for President Trump’s border wall. The move prompted an outcry from Congressional Democrats who maintain that the Pentagon must seek Congressional authorization before any money can be diverted. Juan Carlos Ruiz, cofounder of the New Sanctuary Movement, joins the show.
Our friend and frequent guest Ann Wright is in Moscow as part of a peace delegation. Along with a group of other Americans, she has been part of meetings with Russian civil society figures in an effort to reduce tension and promote peace and understanding. Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
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