The Intercept Briefing

Jeremy digs deep into the U.S. legacy in Iraq.  Mehdi Hasan, host of the new Intercept podcast "Deconstructed," talks about the commercial that 60 Minutes ran for the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and the war in Syria. Matthew Cole talks about how, before becoming FBI director, Chris Wray supervised an investigation that found that Blackwater founder Erik Prince likely broke U.S. laws. The Intercept’s Sam Biddle takes us inside the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the chaos at Facebook. And artist, writer, and educator Eve Ewing talks about her new book "Electric Arches," Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Intercept’s Matthew Cole and Jeremy analyze the major re-shuffle in Trumpland and what it means for the future of the planet. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who led the investigation of Erik Prince and Blackwater for years in Congress, analyzes the ongoing scandal over his alleged role in the Trump era. Musical artists Ana Tijoux and Lila Downs talk about the politics of colonialism, neoliberalism, and revolution and their new collaboration, Tinta Roja. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're taking a step back to look at the larger implications of the Trump administration. Rebel historian and professor Alfred McCoy breaks down the history of America's geopolitical maneuvering and how it has shifted under Obama and Trump. He explains why Trump reminds him of disgraced former British Prime Minister, Sir Anthony Eden. We also speak to acclaimed hip-hop artist Felipe Coronel, better known as Immortal Technique, on issues of American imperialism, racism, global covert actions, and capitalism — topics that his lyrics often tackle head-on. He details the connection between Black Lives Matter and opposing the drone killing of black and brown people across the world. Plus, he shares a powerful freestyle verse on the state of life in America today. And Sam Nunberg stars in "Swingers." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1958, a Virginia couple, Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving, married in the District of Columbia. About four months after their marriage, the Virginia county they lived in issued a criminal indictment charging the Lovings with violating Virginia’s ban on interracial marriage. Mildred was black and Richard was white.Their case, Loving v. Virginia, eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court. And it would take nearly a decade before all state laws prohibiting interracial marriage were struck down.A new series from TOPIC.com tells the story of Americans born to one black parent and one white parent after the 1967 Supreme Court decision. The series is titled “The Loving Generation.”From Melissa Harris-Perry to Mat Johnson, and Panama Jackson, The Loving Generation features a diversity of voices examining the borderland between “blackness” and “whiteness.”Johnson is an award winning novelist and comic book writer. His graphic novel series "Incognegro" centers around a mixed race detective who goes undercover as a white man to solve racially-motivated crimes. His latest work is titled "Incognegro: Renaissance." Mat is also a professor at the University of Houston Creative Writing Program. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Historian Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz argues that the Second Amendment is rooted in genocide, slave patrols and says it should be abolished. Artist Tanna Tucker and historian Nestor Castillo take us on an audio tour of their new graphic history for The Nib, “Black and Red: The History of Black Socialism in America.” And acclaimed novelist Mat Johnson talks about guns, the NFL, the Black Panther film, and growing up bi-racial in Philadelphia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Risen and Glenn Greenwald have both won Pulitzer prizes. They both have found themselves in the crosshairs of the U.S. government for their journalism. And they both write for The Intercept. But Jim and Glenn have taken very different approaches to covering the Trump/Russia story. This week on Intercepted, they go head-to-head in a debate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Trump presidency is itself a provocation. But is he the most dangerous president ever? Is he really so outside the norm of the policies of his predecessors? The short answer, when it comes to substance and policy, is: not yet. There is a particular risk in erasing the line between horrible things Trump does with horrible things the U.S. has done for a long time and acting like it is all Trump. It’s a complicated conversation, but it is one we should have. It means exploring the roots of white supremacy in the U.S., the way American wars are constantly put through a laundering process to make them seem noble and brave, the way “real American” has been defined and continues to be defined in our society. For eight years, we had the first black president in U.S. history and now we have a reality TV host who spends a great deal of time tweeting and watching TV. So what is unique to Trump and what is embedded in the politics of empire in the U.S.?Professor Nikhil Pal Singh has spent years studying trends in U.S. policies throughout history, domestically and internationally. He is professor of Social and Cultural Analysis and History at New York University. His latest book is “Race and America’s Long War.” He is unafraid to take on the golden calves of “American exceptionalism” and challenges us all to examine both the forrest and the trees of American Empire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Trump continues his obsession with the MS-13 street gang, The Intercept’s Alice Speri reports on how this “war on gangs” has given the green light for federal agents to target high school students for deportation. NYU professor Nikhil Singh talks about race and America’s long war, and offers a provocative perspective on some of the golden calves of "American exceptionalism." Iran analyst Holly Dagres of TheIranist discusses the politics of regime change and the recent protests in Iran. Plus, Stormy Daniels helps Trump wag the dog. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The legendary national security reporter James Risen has a fascinating new expose detailing how U.S. intelligence agencies opened a secret communications channel with Russian operatives, who were offering to sell damaging or compromising intelligence on Donald Trump. In this special bonus episode of Intercepted, James Risen lays out the whole story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former State Department official Peter van Buren and civil liberties advocate Julian Sanchez offer provocative analysis the Nunes memo. Academy Award winner Errol Morris and actor Peter Sarsgaard talk about their new hybrid-documentary series Wormwood and present their case that a US Army scientist was murdered by the CIA in 1953. Yemeni analyst Nadwa al Dawsari details the key events of the past 20 years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.