Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said today that Iran would no longer comply with parts of the landmark nuclear deal, the JCPOA, and will resume uranium enrichment if the other countries that remain in the deal--China, France, Germany, Russia, and the UK--fail to protect Iran's banking and oil sectors. The move comes as Washington has ramped up military and economic pressure on Iran.
Drivers for rideshare services Uber and Lyft are going on strike today in more than a dozen cities across the United States, as well as in the UK, Australia, and around South America. Drivers want a liveable wage, job security, and regulated fares, among other things. After factoring in commissions, fees, and vehicle expenses, the average driver makes $9.21 an hour, but has no health insurance, no retirement, and no job security. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
The House Judiciary Committee voted today to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress, a misdemeanor, for failing to provide it with an unredacted copy of the Mueller report and for failing to appear before the committee to testify. Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that Barr should be held in contempt, but she has not yet scheduled a floor vote. Meanwhile, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler says he may also seek to hold former White House Counsel Don McGahn in contempt for refusing to testify. Brian and John speak with Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers.
The New York Times has acquired Donald Trump's tax returns from 1985 to 1994. They show that Trump's companies lost $1.17 billion during that period, while the man and his family continued to earn hundreds of millions of dollars. Trump's paper losses were so significant, that he did not pay any income taxes at all for eight years. Not a single dollar. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at rall.com, joins the show.
Millions of South Africans went to the polls today in the first election since Cyril Ramaphosa became president early last year amid promises to rid his African National Congress of corruption and redistribute the country's land in favor of the Black majority. The ANC is almost certain to retain its status as the largest party, but with newer parties like the Economic Freedom Fighters rising in the polls its majority is in doubt. Eugene Puryear, the host of By Any Means Necessary, which you can hear every day, Monday through Friday, here on Sputnik Radio, 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 and producers 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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