Unauthorized Disclosure

Matthew Hoh returns to Unauthorized Disclosure to discuss his campaign for the US Senate in North Carolina. He is running as a Green Party candidate and recently qualified for the ballot after submitting 22,000 signatures. BECOME A SUBSCRIBER: Patreon.com/UnauthorizedDisclosure Matthew shares what he experienced while asking voters to sign petitions to get him on the ballot. He lays out his campaign platform and why it is important to give voters a choice outside the two-party system. Later, Matthew comments on the uptick in shootings that have made headlines over the past weeks. He describes what he thinks should be done to deal with gun violence. BECOME A SUBSCRIBER: Rokfin.com/UnauthorizedDis Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola also talk with Matthew about the war in Ukraine, including President Joe Biden sending killer drones to Ukrainians—something that will only draw the US further into a conflict with Russia.

Rania Khalek talks about her trip to Venezuela, including how she was called on by Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro to give a comment during a meeting she attended. She describes visiting Hugo Chavez's tomb and then breaks down the many ways you can clearly see that there are two Venezuelas—one for upper class communities, which the US supports, and one for the poor, which don't have that much support from the US. Then Rania and Kevin go through a letter from former US intelligence officials, who pleaded with Congress to not regulate monopolistic Big Tech companies because it will hamper their ability to help the US counter Russia.

Justin Podur, the host of the Anti-Empire Podcast, joins the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast to discuss the recent political developments in Pakistan. *BECOME A SUBSCRIBER: Patreon.com/UnauthorizedDisclosure   Prime Minister Imran Khan was removed from power by the country's parliament. Some evidence points to support from the United States government for toppling Khan's government.  Khan was replaced with Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of Nawaz Sharif who served three terms as prime minister of Pakistan.   *BECOME A SUBSCRIBER: Rokfin.com/UnauthorizedDisclosure   Podur shares his analysis of what transpired in Pakistan and comments on the backlash to Khan's failed attempts to save his government.   Later, he describes how Khan rose to power and what earned him popular support. A small part of it involved Khan's opposition to US drone warfare.  The episode concludes with our weekly censorship report that covers the harsh environment for freedom of expression that has intensified as a result of the war in Ukraine.

Zoe Alexandra from The People's Dispatch joins Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola for this week's episode of the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast. During the show, Zoe breaks down the significance of elections that were held in Colombia, where the left enjoyed some success. She dives into the history of United States involvement in the country. A judge in Honduras approved the extradition of Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras, to the U.S. government for prosecution on drug trafficking charges. As Zoe points out, the approval is made even more remarkable by the fact that Hernández was previously backed by the U.S. government in a coup. In the final part of the show, Zoe helps Rania and Kevin highlight censorship from the past week, including suppression of RT en Español, for their new weekly feature, the "Censorship Report."

Our guest for this week is Eli Clifton, a senior adviser at the Quincy Institute and an investigative journalist at large for Responsible Statecraft. Kevin and Rania talk with him about a report he produced on Annie M.H. Chan, a right-wing oligarch living in Hawaii who has fomented conflict on the Korean Peninsula. Later, Eli shares his assessment of the risks posed by all the arms flooding into Ukraine from North America and Europe. He also discusses some of the work he's done on Big War CEOs and how their corporations were primed and ready for this war.

Our guest on this episode of the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast is comedian Lee Camp, who hosted "Redacted Tonight" on RT America for eight years until it shut down this past week.    Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola talk with Lee about why RT America shut down and the censorship environment as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Lee and Rania both make the case for why this was a result of censorship.   We discuss how RT America journalists (along with other foreign journalists) were forced in 2019 to register as "foreign agents" while working in the United States.    Later in the show, Lee raises the issue of support for a No Fly Zone over Ukraine. Lee assesses what happens next as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues to escalate—with arms shipments pouring in from US/NATO and Russia preparing for the next phase in their military offensive.

On this week's "Unauthorized Disclosure," we have one of our favorite guests, Ben Norton, who is the editor of Multipolarista and the host of "Propaganda Today."    Ben describes how the so-called "trucker" protests (largely by non-truckers), which paralyzed the capitals of Brazil and Canada in the past six months, were backed by wealthy right-wing elites.   Rania and Ben discuss fascism and the many forms it can take in a country. White working class people aren't the only group likely to engage in reactionary politics.   Later, Kevin, Rania, and Ben go through examples of people at US think tanks and media outlets, who helped NATO and the military-industrial complex keep the temperature hot, even as Russia repeatedly stated it has no plans to invade Ukraine.    On February 20, Russia is expected to conclude military exercises, including nuclear missile drill. Explosions were reported throughout February 18. Still, nothing points to an invasion of Ukraine yet. This weekend will be remarkable, as the laundering of disinformation around Russia and Ukraine enters its next phase. But one thing is certain: US journalists will continue to willingly publish the "intelligence" they receive, no matter how false or junky it may be.

Right after we recorded, U.S. intelligence sources laundered disinformation through outlets like CNN and the New York Times that Russia could invade Ukraine before the Olympics conclude in Beijing. Secretary of State Antony Blinken repeated that an invasion "could begin at any time" and provided zero evidence for this statement recklessly shared in his official capacity. We note that because the beginning of this episode does not reflect this latest development. In fact, up until February 11, the Biden White House had entirely abandoned any suggestion that a threat of invasion was "imminent." They moved to President Vladimir Putin is operating on his own time table for an invasion, and it could be a long one. That means an invasion could come in the summer or the fall or never. Our guest this week is Branko Marcetic, a staff writer for Jacobin Magazine and the author of the book Yesterday's Man: The Case Against Joe Biden. Branko starts by assessing the media coverage of the potential for Russia to invade Ukraine and then provides a brief overview of how we got to this moment. He broadens our discussion with a critique of Biden's foreign policy record. Later, Rania asks Branko about his views on some of the left's attitudes toward public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kevin also asks Branko to share his thoughts on the conservative media ecosystem developing in response to censorship and pressure from social media companies.

Our guest this week on Unauthorized Disclosure is Branko Marcetic, a staff writer for Jacobin Magazine and the author of the book "Yesterday's Man: The Case Against Joe Biden."   *BECOME A SUBSCRIBER at patreon.com/unauthorizeddisclosure   Branko starts by assessing the media coverage of the potential for Russia to invade Ukraine and then provides a brief overview of how we got to this moment. He broadens our discussion with a critique of Biden's foreign policy record.   Later, Rania asks Branko about his views on some of the left's attitudes toward public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kevin also asks Branko to share his thoughts on the conservative media ecosystem developing in response to censorship and pressure from social media companies.    (Note: This was edited for broadcast. Full unedited episodes are available for subscribers.)

For the last episode of 2021, Mike Prysner, a producer for "Empire Files," joins Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola to share his reporting on the Red Hill fuel leaks at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii.    Fuel tanks once again leaked petroleum and threatened the water supply of surrounding communities. The leaks poisoned military and non-military people, who rely on the same water. It is a problem that goes back decades and has likely resulted in hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel leaking into the water since World War II.    Mike describes meeting with people impacted by the pollution and what indigenous communities are doing to fight back. He outlines the lies the U.S. Navy are telling Hawaiians and why they think they can get away with not shutting down the tanks, as even city officials in Honolulu are demanding.    Later in the show, Mike comments on U.S. sanctions in Afghanistan and links it back to the suffering unfolding in communities nearby by the Pearl Harbor-Hickam military base.