US Eyes Resources In Latin America, Escalates Against China, with Ben Norton
With the United States hyper focused on Russia and China, it’s easy to forget that the empire is still up to its old tricks in the rest of the Global South. What does the insatiable U.S. imperialist appetite mean for the resource-rich countries of Latin America? After all, that copper, gold, zinc, silver, lead, iron, […]
The Bloody Reality of the DRC Cobalt Mines That Power Our Phones
From smartphones to electric vehicles, all lithium-ion rechargeable batteries made today require cobalt, a unique mineral that is almost exclusively mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Siddharth Kara, author of Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives, joins the show to explain the immense toll taken on the people […]
The Michael Dean Story: Police Murder in a Texas ‘Sundown Town
On December 2, 2019, Michael Dean went out to buy a birthday cake for his daughter when he was shot in the head at point-blank range and killed by Temple, Texas Police Officer Carmen DeCruz following a routine traffic stop. After being charged with manslaughter for Dean’s death, DeCruz is now on trial in Bell […]
Latin America’s New ‘Sur’ Currency Bloc: Regional Integration vs. the Weaponized Dollar
Brazil and Argentina announced that they are making plans for creating a new currency for trade in Latin America. The currency, called the “Sur” would create the world’s second-largest currency bloc and aim to “boost regional trade and reduce reliance on the US dollar.” The leaders of the countries will discuss the plans at the […]
What the US Fears Most in the Horn of Africa: A New Era of Peace
On November 2, 2022, after two years of horrific war, the US-backed Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) was forced to agree to a “cessation of hostilities” with the Ethiopian government. Since the peace agreement was made, the US continues to try to sow division within the African Horn. Elias Amare, Contributing editor and host of […]
Cop City, Atlanta: Inside the Fight Against the Largest Police Training Base in the US
Manuel “Tortuguita” Teran was shot and killed by Atlanta police last week, while defending the Weelaunee Forest from destruction for a new police training facility, “Cop City.” Since 2021, activists have been fighting the proposed $90 million, 350-acre training center that would serve as a mock city of Atlanta to test out urban warfare. Kamau […]
Nickel and Dimed: How Restaurant Lobbyists Scam Workers to Keep Wages Low
Restaurant workers are being put into food safety courses where the fees then fund the industry’s anti-worker lobbying against minimum wage increases. The National Restaurant Association has raised millions over the years through its ownership of ServSafe, the de facto food-safety training course for the industry. Teo Reyes, Chief Program Officer at ROC United, breaks […]
Meet the Rescue Workers Facing Prison Time in Greece for Helping Refugees at Sea
Dutch rescue worker and retired banker, Pieter Wittenberg is one of 24 aid workers on trial and facing 12 years in prison in Greece. Their “crime?” Rescuing stranded refugees in the Aegean Sea. The 24 defendants worked for a search and rescue group operating on the island of Lesbos from 2016 to 2018 and have […]