Infrastructure Bill Pared Down Again; Iran to Rejoin Negotiations; Assange Extradition Appeal

Biden’s infrastructure bill keeps shrinking amid intraparty fights. Will we be left with anything beyond corporate welfare?

Howie Hawkins, 2020 Green Party presidential candidate, trade unionist, and activist, joins us to talk about Biden’s incredible shrinking infrastructure bill, which is now being referred to as a “framework” after popular proposals like paid family leave, lowering prescription drug prices, an expansion for Medicare, and others, have been dropped after infighting within the Democratic Party. We talk about how the Democrats seem to be unable to govern and enact policies for the people even after controlling the White House and Congress, and the potential political fallout due to this inertia.

Mohammad Marandi, professor of English literature and Orientalism at the University of Tehran, joins us to talk about Iran’s top negotiator announcing that Iran would rejoin international talks on its nuclear program, whether the US will join Iran and Europe at the negotiating table, considering its long-standing belligerent tone and long-standing position of trying to isolate Iran through international forums and sanctions. We also talk about how the US global sanctions regime could become so large that it would actually force its enemies to interact more and more, and how Iran is reaching out to potential allies to stave off its crippling effects.

Afeni, member of Freedom Fighters DC and abolitionist-in-training, and Jacqui Luqman, co-host of By Any Means Necessary on Radio Sputnik, join us to talk about the protests by students at Howard University in DC to highlight the housing conditions on campus, how the administration has failed to provide the necessary resources for students, and how these protests are bringing to light the class issues within Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Kevin Gosztola, journalist, writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, joins us to talk about the US appeal in London over the extradition of Julian Assange, arguing that he will be treated fairly in the US, and how the treatment of whistleblowers by the US undermines their case for extradition. We also talk about the protests in support of Assange, and whether recent revelations of US potential actions against Assange will have any effect on judges’ decisions.

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