Unauthorized Disclosure

As Hurricane Irma hits Florida, we have an interview with Niecee X of the Black Women's Defense League about the organizing work the organization is doing to provide relief for those in the Houston area impacted by Hurricane Harvey. They are particularly focused on women of color and marginalized people, who are neglected and under-served after natural disasters. During the discussion portion of the show, Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola talk about Hurricane Irma, Hillary Clinton's unwanted book tour, and North Korea.

In this abbreviated episode, the show highlights listener comments and covers President Donald Trump's decision to escalate the war in Afghanistan. Particularly, the show focuses upon how President Barack Obama kept the war going and takes to task Democrats who are meekly pledging to demand specifics to ensure Trump's strategy works. The specifics that matter are the statistics that reflect the human toll - the number of civilians killed, the children killed in airstrikes, the number of refugees who have fled, etc.

On this week's show, we interview Juan Demetrixx, an organizer of Howard University Resist, and Jared Ware, journalist and producer of the "Beyond Prisons" podcast. Demetrixx talks about what he witnessed on the ground in Charlottesville a little more than a week ago. Ware highlights Redneck Revolt, one of a large contingent of left-wing groups that was present in Charlottesville. Later in the interview, Demetrixx and Ware share their perspectives on confronting or challenging white supremacists and the response of Donald Trump's administration to the violence in Charlottesville. The second half of the show is spent reading a statement from Palestinian American activist Rasmea Odeh, who had her sentencing hearing in Detroit. The judge refused to let her read this statement. She will be deported. And also, we highlight a settlement in lawsuit against CIA torture psychologists and pay tribute to the black comic and civil rights activist Dick Gregory, who died on August 19.

Host Kevin Gosztola interviews Tom Secker, the co-author of "National Security Cinema: The Shocking New Evidence Of Government Control in Hollywood." The interview highlights a few examples of Pentagon or CIA influence, including "Contact," "The Interview," and "Hulk" in the Marvel cinematic universe. The two discuss the nature of national security cinema, how government agencies go to lengths to keep records on their collaboration with Hollywood secret, and why. They also get into the military's interest in demilitarizing or "civilianizing" movies.

This is is a snippet of Patron Exclusive content, which was recently posted. Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola discuss Venezuela. The exclusive was recorded on August 6. The crisis in Venezuela continues to be intense. It has escalated sharply since the world rejected President Nicolas Maduro's call for a constituent assembly vote. Or to put it another way, since the opposition in Venezuela refused to participate in a democratic process and instead carried out another round of violent protests to further destabilize the country. For access to the full discussion, .

Amal Saad, a professor of political science at Lebanese University and the author of a book called, "Hezbollah: Politics and Religion," joins the show to talk about Hezbollah and its role as a resistance army in Lebanon. Hezbollah recently liberated a part of Lebanon near the Syria-Lebanon border that was controlled by al Qaida. We spend the hour with Saad, as she describes Hezbollah's history of protecting what it sees as the "Resistance Axis," countries in the Middle East which challenge the U.S. and Israel. She addresses the notion of sectarianism around the Shia crescent and outlines the reality on the ground — the demographics of people who truly faced violence and oppression for their identity and needed help to survive. Later in the episode, Saad and Rania Khalek break down some of the key misperceptions the left has about identity, terrorism, and resistance in countries like Lebanon.

Hosts of the "Unauthorized Disclosure" weekly podcast welcome Kim Wilson and Brian Sonenstein, co-hosts of the "Beyond Prisons" podcast, to the show. Wilson and Sonenstein discuss their new show, which covers prisons and prison reform from an abolitionist perspective. It elevates people directly impacted by the system of mass incarceration by featuring their voices. In the latter half of the episode, a short segment highlights how CIA torture architects James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen invoked the cases of accused Nazi war criminals to argue they should not be held responsible for torture.

Abdul Malik Mujahid, president of Sound Vision, which does public relations for Muslim American communities, joins the show to talk about the Muslim Ban, the Islamic State, the refugee crisis, wars in the Middle East, and more. During the discussion portion, Rania Khalek, who is in Syria, talks about some of what she is witnessing and uncovering. Khalek and Kevin Gosztola spend the rest of the show on issues, such as the lack of left opposition to the right-wing destabilization of Venezuela.

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola highlight previous clips from the show in this "Best Of" episode that features: Nima Shirazi, Douglas Williams, Vivek Chibber, and Donna Murch.

Former CIA officer John Kiriakou and former US Marine Joseph Hickman join the show to discuss their new book on Abu Zubaydah called "The Convenient Terrorist: Two Whistleblowers' Stories Of Torture, Terror, Secret Wars, and CIA Lies." Kiriakou was involved in the capture of Abu Zubaydah, who the U.S. government initially claimed was the No. 3 man in al Qaida. Hickman was stationed at Guantanamo Bay. They wrote a definitive book on Abu Zubaydah to call attention to details the U.S. government would prefer the public ignore about him.

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola highlight some pretty awful and horrible stories on this week's show but not before talking about the Democratic Party's latest epic fail with Jon Ossoff's loss in Georgia. After discussing what happened with Ossoff, the show moves on to the United States and a network of torture chambers in Yemen. They cover developments in Syria, a Supreme Court decision against Arab or Muslim immigrants rounded up in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, and the video of Officer Jeronimo Yanez killing Philando Castile. The show ends on a lighter note with a look at the Democratic challengers that have come forward to challenge Speaker of the House Paul Ryan in 2018.

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola discuss the rift between Saudi Arabia and Qatar and tension among the Gulf countries in the Middle East. They talk about the Saudi arms deal, which the Senate would have opposed if five Democrats had not voted against a bill to block the deal. Later in the show, Khalek and Gosztola talk about how Bernie Sanders and the movements he is aligned with ignore ongoing U.S. wars and their impact and contrast that with British political leader Jeremy Corbyn, who frequently makes connections between terrorism and the United Kingdom's support for wars. The rest of the show is spent on the People's Summit, which Gosztola attended, and the GOP baseball shooting in Alexandria. In particular, the hosts criticize the New York Times for their coverage, which suggested Bernie Sanders supporters may bear some responsibility for a former campaign volunteer turning to violence.

Abby Martin and Mike Prysner, who produce the weekly independent show, "The Empire Files," join the show to talk about their recent reporting trip to Venezuela. Both describe the nature of the opposition in Venezuela. They share details about the violence they witnessed and speak about opposition figures targeting them with a vicious campaign of intimidation and harassment (particularly online). Throughout the episode, the left-wing Chavism's ability to withstand this opposition is highlighted. Martin and Prysner talk about the engagement of Venezuelans, especially lower class citizens, in participatory democracy. They address what they thought they would uncover and outline what they found to be so very different about the country's government. If you would like to support the show and help keep us going strong, please become a subscriber on .

Peter Van Buren is a former State Department employee, who blew the whistle on malfeasance and corruption related to reconstruction efforts in Iraq. He also is a writer and fiction book author. He joins the show to discuss his new book, "Hooper's War." "" is a raw novel, caustic in tone and sober in its treatment of war and the forever rot that war creates within us. During the interview, Van Buren highlights what influenced his story. We delve into the concept of moral injury. We discuss myths about wars that are told, particularly how those who served in World War II were the "Greatest Generation." Later, Van Buren addresses endless war and what the book's main character, Hooper, might think about this current era, given that he is WWII veteran. If you would like to support the show and help keep us going strong, please become a subscriber on .

On this week's discussion for the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast, hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola discuss President Donald Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia and how ordinary Syrians view the armed opposition in Syria. They celebrate the release of Chelsea Manning. The hosts also talk about the Comey memo scandal that has roiled the Trump administration and a news story published by Gosztola on a development involving Trevor FitzGibbon, the founder of a progressive public relations firm which abruptly shut down as sexual allegations were leveled against him. A U.S. Attorney's Office declined to pursue charges based on three criminal complaints, which were filed. If you would like to support the show and help keep us going strong, please become a subscriber on .

In a special episode for the podcast, former CIA officer and whistleblower John Kiriakou joins the show to talk about his new book, "Doing Time Like A Spy: How The CIA Taught Me To Survive And Thrive In Prison." Kiriakou talks about writing prison letters, how he came up with the concept for his book, and he shares some of his stories from his incarceration. He highlights the case of Mark Lanzilotti, who was given an extremely draconian sentence for his nonviolent drug offense. Later in the discussion, he talks about why he became the target of prosecution and what lesson he learned from his time incarcerated. If you would like to support the show and help keep us going strong, please become a subscriber on .

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola welcome Azadeh Shahshahani, who is a legal and advocacy director for Project South. She joins the show to talk about a report her organization worked on called "Imprisoned Justice: Inside Two Georgia Immigrant Detention Centers." Shahshahani addresses how asylum seekers and immigrants are denied due process and in some cases even tricked into signing papers for deportation. At Stewart Detention Center and Irwin County Detention Center, solitary confinement is used as punishment against individuals who resist the conditions of their confinement. She talks about the water in these facilities, the rotten food served to prisoners, and the labor they are expected to perform often for very little pay or no money at all. And Shahshahani describes the programs the government operates with local police forces that load up private facilities like Stewart with bodies for companies to make profits. Later in the show, Khalek and Gosztola discuss a reaction to Max Blumenthal's inter

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola welcome Max Blumenthal, journalist, senior editor of AlterNet's Grayzone Project, and author of The 51 Day War: Ruin and Resistance in Gaza. Blumenthal addresses how the Syrian conflict has created fractures among the left in the United States and its impact on the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaign against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. He talks about the International Socialist Organization and "Democracy Now!", including a recent appearance by journalist Anand Gopal on the show, and their politics on the conflict. Later in the show, Blumenthal discusses how the far right in Europe capitalizes off the refugee crisis and the frenzy over Russia among Democrats. If you would like to support the show and help keep us going strong, please become a subscriber on .

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola discuss UC Berkeley and Ann Coulter, immigrant prosecutions, President Donald Trump's busy day on April 26, and one of the most recent ominous reports about the Arctic ice melting. With Rania in the Middle East for the next months, she is a bit detached from U.S. current events. She asked Kevin to give her an update on some of what she missed. No guest this week. If you would like to support the show and help keep us going strong, please become a subscriber on .

Host Kevin Gosztola interviews the filmmakers involved in the production of "Awake: A Dream From Standing Rock," which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 22. Josh Fox, Oscar-nominated director of "Gasland" and "How to Let Go of the World and Love All The Things Climate Can’t Change," produced Part 1 of the film. Part 2 was created by James Spione, who was nominated for an Oscar for his work on the short film, "Incident In New Baghdad." He is also known for directing "Silenced," a documentary profiling whistleblowers. Myron Dewey, founder of Digital Smoke Signals, is Newe-Numah/ Paiute-Shoshone from the Walker River Paiute Tribe, Agui Diccutta Band (Trout Eaters) and Temoke Shoshone. Through Part 3, he captures much of the indigenous perspective of what unfolded at Standing Rock in the struggle against the Dakota Access pipeline. Dewey also is a media maker known for live streaming and flying a drone to capture what was unfolding on the ground. What appears in the film from this footage is stu