Unauthorized Disclosure

Kevin Gosztola of Firedoglake.com and Rania Khalek, who writes for the "Dispatches from the Underclass" blog, are joined by Keeanga Yamahtta-Taylor, who is a professor at Princeton University and also works at the Center for African-American Studies. Yamahtta-Taylor talks to us about why Ferguson erupted into anger and protest over the killing of Mike Brown by a white police officer, especially since this happens in cities all over the United States just about every other day. She also discusses issues of class and class position in black communities and how they factor into debates about how to win justice.    During the discussion portion, the show stays on this topic and highlights an array of examples of police crimes that seem to have occurred or earned attention in the past week. Some insights are shared from Gosztola's reporting trip to Ferguson. The demands for justice from organizers in Ferguson are highlighted as well.

Kevin Gosztola of Firedoglake.com and independent journalist Rania Khalek are joined by Truthout contributors Dahr Jamail and William Rivers Pitt. They recently co-authored the book, The Mass Destruction of Iraq: The Disintegration of a Nation - Why It Is Happening and Who Is Responsible. Jamail and Pitt provide insights on the continuation of the US military's latest operations in Iraq, the new Iraqi prime minister handpicked by the US government, the role of the Kurdish forces and whether there is an endgame to what the US is doing in Iraq.  During the discussion portion, we highlight the case of former Bagram prisoner Qandi Agha, who provided Amnesty International an account of torture he suffered after being detained by US special forces in Afghanistan. Then, the rest of the show is spent talking about everything in Ferguson, Missouri, that happened in the aftermath of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown being shot and killed by police. (Everything right up to the afternoon of August 15.)

Kevin Gosztola of Firedoglake.com and Rania Khalek, who publishes to the "Dispatches from the Underclass" blog, are the hosts of this podcast.  This week, Gosztola interviews Jesselyn Radack, who is one of the defense lawyers for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and the director for the Government Accountability Project's National Security and Human Rights Division. She talks about the latest with Snowden, the one-year anniversary of Chelsea Manning's conviction, mass surveillance and its effects on whistleblowing, lawyers and journalists as well as various other stories from the past week that all have some connection to the government's efforts to control information.  During the discussion segment, the case of oncologist Dr. Rafil Dhafir, is highlighted. He used his own charity to raise money for Iraqis affected by depleted uranium until the government criminalized his activity, put him on trial and had him jailed. He is currently in solitary confinement, and a phone number for the federal medical center where he is being held is provided to those who feel moved and want to urge the prison to let him out of solitary.

Kevin Gosztola of Firedoglake.com and independent journalist Rania Khalek are joined by Hatem Abudayyeh, who is a national coordinating committee member for the US Palestinian Community Network. He has been involved in organizing demonstrations in Chicago in support of Palestinians and against Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza. He also had his home raided by the FBI in 2010 (along with 22 other activists) for his engagement in Palestinian solidarity activism and remains under a cloud of investigation that the Justice Department refuses to bring to an end, even though he has not been indicted or charged with any crime. Abudayyeh discusses how the police handle Palestinian supporters versus the supporters of Israel, the upper-class gun-toting Zionist who was arrested in Chicago, efforts to suppress Palestinian solidarity activism and also the political case of Rasmea Odeh, who is a Palestinian on trial for alleged immigration fraud Later, Khalek provides an update on Gaza and the West Bank. Gosztola highlights how CIA director John Brennan and former CIA officials are plotting to discredit the Senate intelligence committee's torture report and The Intercept's story on the National Counterterrorism Center's criteria for placing people on government watchlists.

Kevin Gosztola of Firedoglake.com and independent journalist Rania Khalek are joined by Deepa Kumar, an associate professor in the journalism and media studies department of Rutgers University and author of Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire. Kumar explores how the US media has been covering Palestinians in Gaza, especially as Israel's assault has escalated. She also provides context for why five named Muslim Americans became targets of the NSA and FBI, as The Intercept reported just over a week ago. During a shorter discussion portion, we talk about Israel's ground invasion and how Israel is blaming Hamas for all the civilians who die. We also highlight censorship news organizations like NBC News and CNN have imposed on reporters covering Gaza.

Kevin Gosztola of Firedoglake.com and independent journalist Rania Khalek are joined by Todd Miller, a journalist who has covered US-Mexico border issues for over 15 years. He is the author of Border Patrol Nation: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Homeland Security. He appears on the show to provide historical context for why tens of thousands of children and their families have fled Central American countries to the US-Mexico border. He also addresses how private corporations stand to benefit from detention centers that the Obama administration plans to develop or build.  During the discussion portion, Khalek provides an update on Israel's assault on Gaza, and Gosztola provides some comments on the NSA spying on American Muslims.   This week we highlight efforts to get water to Detroit residents, who have had their water shut off by the city. We highlight Wiley Gill, a victim of an American domestic surveillance system known as the National Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative.

Kevin Gosztola of Firedoglake.com and independent journalist Rania Khalek are joined by The Nation's sports correspondent, Dave Zirin, to talk about the World Cup, FIFA, the sports "shock doctrine," Brazil culture and history, as well as the militarization of areas in and around the sites of the games. Zirin discusses numerous details from his book, "Brazil's Dance with the Devil," now available from Haymarket Books. We also discuss the protests and how they have pushed mainstream media to pay more attention to issues that arise from hosting mega-events like the World Cup or Olympics.During the discussion portion, we talk about child refugees crossing the US-Mexico border, the Justice Department's decision to finally drop charges against Sami al-Arian and developments with Israel, particularly those related to the murder of a Palestinian teen.  There's ten to fifteen extra minutes this week, as we talked to Zirin for about 40 minutes. Enjoy.

Kevin Gosztola of  and , an independent journalist, are joined by Nafeez Ahmed, who is a writer and contributor to The Guardian. His most recent articles have covered the militarization of social science; specifically, the Pentagon's funding of research into preparing for a civil breakdown as well as how both the security agencies in both the United Kingdom and the United States regard differnt types of activists and factions of the poor as threats. We talk with him for over a half hour about the implications of this militarized social science.  In the discussion portion of the show, we talk about the memo released this past week - with redactions - containing the Obama's "legal" justification for targeting and assassinating US citizen Anwar al-Awlaki. We also discuss the victory thirteen US citizens placed on the No-Fly List won in court and the water shut-offs occurring in Detroit.

Dahr Jamail, a staff reporter for Truthout.org, is the guest this week.

Kevin Gosztola and Rania Khalek are joined by Josmar Trujillo, a writer and activist who organizes with New Yorkers Against Bratton. Trujillo talks about police raids that took place where alleged members of gangs in Harlem were rounded up by the NYPD in a show of force. He discusses organizing for police reform now that Bill Bratton is NYPD chief and Bill de Blasio has been elected New York City mayor.  In the discussion part of the show, Gosztola and Khalek talk about the crisis of immigrant children crossing the US-Mexico border and the escalating conflict in Iraq. Khalek also recounts what happened at a Ta-Nehisi Coates event when she tried to get him to answer a question about reparations for African-Americans.