FEATURING DAVID RENTON – A new and terrifying wave of authoritarianism veering toward fascism has taken hold of the leadership in many nations today. From Trump in the US to Boris Johnson in the UK, Modi in India, Bolsonaro in Brazil, and many others it seems as though the right is dangerously ascendant. My next guest is a historian who says that although today’s right wing radical movements are more moderate than classical fascism, there are many similarities. 

David Renton, Barristor, historian, and anti-fascist activist. His earlier books include Fascism: Theory and Practice. His latest book is ‘The New Authoritarians: Convergence on the Right.‘

On the third day of public impeachment hearings, former White House advisor Fiona Hill testified on Thursday morning. It was the third consecutive day of witness questioning this week alone. In her opening remarks, Hill denounced one of the Republican Party’s main conspiracy theories used to justify President Donald Trump’s actions – that Ukraine was somehow involved in the 2016 election interference rather than Russia. Also testifying on Thursday was David Holmes, a US Embassy staffer in Ukraine who overheard a phone from Trump to the US’s EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland confirming a quid pro quo. On Wednesday afternoon, after lengthy testimony from Sondland, two other government officials testified: Laura Cooper of the Defense Department and David Hale from the State Department who spoke to lawmakers about the US military aid that was being withheld from Ukraine. 

After Cooper and Hale testified, House Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff delivered a powerful closing address making the case for Trump’s impeachable conduct. Meanwhile House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in her Thursday press conference had harsh words for Trump. Meanwhile Trump, enraged over the public scrutiny of his misconduct resorted to name-calling once more, calling Democrats “human scum” on Twitter.

On Wednesday night, yet another debate between the top 10 Democratic Party Presidential candidates took place on a stage in Atlanta. Overall assessments of the debate were that candidates spent more time criticizing Trump than one another. Race emerged as an important issue as former Vice President Joe Biden confidently touted his support in the black community. Senator Bernie Sanders made news for demanding that Palestinians be treated with dignity, while Representative Tulsi Gabbard came under fire for her visit with Syria’s brutal dictator Bashar Al Assad. 

A federal judge has temporarily stopped the first federal execution in years from moving forward in a rebuke to Attorney General Willim Barr. Barr earlier this year announced that the federal government would resume executions on Decebmer 9th but U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan ruled in favor of plaintiffs challenging the resumption. 

An immigrant rights activist named Scott Warren has been acquitted of all charges in a highly publicized case of Americans being criminalized for helping undocumented immigrants. Warren was arrested for offering shelter to two immigrants at a camp in Arizona as part of his work with the humanitarian group No More Deaths. In other news, the

FEATURING MARK SCHLOSBERG – After months of pressure from environmental activists, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has taken some action on oil and gas operations in the nation’s richest state. He effectively placed a moratorium on new hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” operations until they are reviewed by an independent panel of scientists. 

In a statement made on Tuesday Newsom said, “These are necessary steps to strengthen oversight of oil and gas extraction as we phase out our dependence on fossil fuels and focus on clean energy sources.”

Despite its reputation for leading the nation on climate policies, California’s fracking industry has been booming – under primarily Democratic leadership that has been claiming to champion climate action.

Mark Schlosberg, Political Director of Food and Water Watch Action.

FEATURING RABBI MICHAEL LERNER – The idea of socialism as an alternative to capitalism is emerging as a popular one in the US. Our current capitalist world order has failed to meet the needs of most people and has fueled a climate crisis in a thirst for profits. But what kind of political system can really deliver the promises of a socialist utopia? Writing in a new book called Revolutionary Love, long-time political activist and leader Rabbi Michael Lerner paints a picture of a leftist vision based on empathy, community, and respect – what he calls “love infused” socialism.

Get a copy of Rabbi Lerner’s book here: https://www.tikkun.org/lj.

Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor of Tikkun Magazine, best-selling author whose books include Jewish Renewal and The Left Hand of God: Taking Back Our Country From the Religious Right. His new book is called Revolutionary Love: A Political Manifesto to Heal and Transform the World.

The US Ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland delivered devastating testimony on Wednesday morning at a public impeachment hearing, saying in the clearest terms that there had been a “quid pro quo” in President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine. This is the critical part of Sondland’s opening remarks. Sondland’s testimony deeply implicated the President’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani. In his questioning of Sondland, House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff asked him about Vice President Mike Pence. Schiff also asked Sondland about Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and State Secretary Mike Pompeo and other State Department staff.

President Trump reacted to the testimony in remarks to reporters outside the White House. While he stood holding a sheaf of papers, photographers captured two pages of clumsily written notes in large lettering that were shared across social media. Among the notes were the lines, “I keep hearing all these different ideas and theories,” and “I want no quid pro quo, tell Zelensky to do the right thing.” Here are some of Trump’s verbal remarks. Although Trump says he didn’t know Sondland very well, just a few weeks ago, when Sondland appeared to be backing him, Trump tweeted, “I would love to send Ambassador Sondland, a really good man and great American, to testify…” Meanwhile Vice President Mike Pence’s office issued a statement denying Sondland’s claim that he was informed about pressuring Ukraine to announce investigations into the Bidens. 

The White House has prohibited a number of other witnesses from testifying in public or private to Congress in the impeachment inquiry. Two witnesses in particular, who have been subpoenaed by the House have asked the courts to determine whose directive they should follow. In the case of former White House Counsel Don McGahn, a federal judge has just announced she would be making a ruling no later than Monday on the issue. We’ll be bringing you in-depth analysis of testimonies from Sondland and other witnesses to come.

In other news, CBS has uncovered another potentially explosive story regarding the Trump administration and the Republican Party. A billionaire donor to the party based in San Diego, named Doug Manchester had been angling for a position as US Ambassador to the Bahamas. Manchester had donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund and after years of his nomination for the Ambassadorship stalling in the Senat...

FEATURING MARJORIE COHN – As the second week of public hearings in the House-led impeachment inquiry continue, numerous witnesses have painted a picture of how President Donald Trump aimed to use US military aid to Ukraine in order to try to extract political dirt on his election rivals. 

On Tuesday, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman and Vice Presidential aide Jennifer Williams testified before House committees as two of nine people speaking publicly this week. Vindman in particular has emerged as a credible witness who is a decorated and active duty member of the US military. But, like others who are publicly warning against the President’s conduct, he is being smeared as motivated by partisan concerns. On Wednesday, Trump loyalist Gordon Sondland will testify. Sondland is a critical figure and revised his testimony in closed door depositions. 

As the impeachment drama unfolds Democrats are considering whether to investigate if Trump lied to former Special Counsel Robert Mueller in his written testimony during that separate investigation. 

Marjorie Cohn, professor emerita at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and a writer for Truthout or at marjoriecohn.com.

FEATURING JUAN COLE – The New York Times and The Intercept this week published a trove of hundreds of leaked intelligence reports from Iran that were given to them by an unknown person claiming to be Iraqi. According to the Times, the documents, “offer a detailed portrait of just how aggressively Tehran has worked to embed itself into Iraqi affairs,” and show, “years of painstaking work by Iranian spies to co-opt the country’s leaders, pay Iraqi agents working for the Americans to switch sides and infiltrate every aspect of Iraq’s political, economic and religious life.” 

The document dump comes at the same time that protests are rocking both Iran and Iraq. In Iran, massive demonstrations took place in about 100 cities after the government hiked up the price of fuel. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denounced the protesters as “thugs,” while the government shut down internet access across the country. And in Iraq, a month into widespread anti-corruption protests, angry residents blockaded roads leading to oil fields and forced the closure of the Iraq central Bank.

Juan Cole is the Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan. He has written several books including ‘The New Arabs: How the Wired and Global Youth of the Middle East Is Transforming It,’ ‘Engaging the Muslim World,’ and ‘Muhammad: Prophet of Peace Amid the Clash of Empires.’ He has a column at Truthdig.com and his blog, Informed Comment, can be found at juancole.com. 

Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman and Vice Presidential aide Jennifer Williams testified in public hearings as part of the House impeachment inquiry on Tuesday. The two spoke side-by-side on the issue of whether President Donald Trump withheld US military aid to Ukraine in exchange for launching investigations into his political rival. House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff led the questioning asking Vindman why he was concerned by Trump’s conduct. Ranking Republican Devin Nunes led his party’s questioning asking Pence’s aide Jennifer Williams about various right-wing conspiracy theories that have been brewing online and on Fox News. President Trump took questions from reporters at the White House as the hearing was taking place and, like his allies and supporters, called Vindman’s reputation into question. Here he referred to an exchange where Nunes called Vindman “Mr.” rather than using his military title.

Also on Tuesday Kurt Volker, the former special envoy to Ukraine, and Tim Morrison, the top Russia adviser on the White House National Security Council testified in the afternoon. On Wednesday, US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland will give a public hearing followed by Laura Cooper, the deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Russian, Ukrainian, and Eurasian Affairs, and David Hale, the undersecretary of State for Political Affairs. Then on Thursday, Fiona Hill, the former National Security Council senior director for Europe and Russia will testify alongside David Holmes who was a staffer at the US Embassy in Kiev. Holmes already testified in a closed-door deposition about what he overheard Sondland saying on a phone call to President Trump about Ukraine. Politico reports that, “Holmes said Trump’s voice was so loud that it caused Sondland to wince and hold the phone away from his ear. He said he heard Trump say ‘So he’s going to do the investigation.’ And Sondland replied, ‘Oh yeah, he’s going to do it.’” Holmes also said there was a risk of such a call being monitored by Russian officials. 

Amid the impeachment hearings lawyers for House Democrats told a federal appeals court on Monday that they were exploring an investigation into whether Trump lied to former Special Counsel Robert Mueller in his written testimony in the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump’s answers to Mueller’s questions were part of the Special Counsel report appendix and in them the President said he did not know of any communications between Wikileaks and his election campaign. But that testimony is contradicted by several of his former associates including Rick Gates and Michael Cohen who say they witnessed Trump discussing Wikileaks’ release of incriminating DNC emails over the phone. If the President lied under oath it may form the basis of another article of impeachment. And, in the case around the House pursuit of Trump’s tax returns, Supreme Court chief Justice John Roberts ordered an indefinite delay while the court decides whether to take up the case or let a lower court ruling stand that allows the returns to be turned over.

In news from the electoral front,

FEATURING ALAN MACLEOD – Jeanine Añez has declared herself the leader of Bolivia just days after incumbent President Evo Morales was forced to step down when the military abandoned him. With Morales in exile in Mexico, Añez declared herself leader of the Senate and the interim President in a half empty legislative session lacking quorum. 

Over the weekend reports emerged from Bolivia where indigenous communities in the majority-indigenous nation are facing a violent crackdown from security forces. But Western media coverage has failed to provide the historical and political context for how the leftwing government of Evo Morales has been upended by a far-right movement through anti-democratic methods. Through corporate media’s lens, Morales is the undemocratic tyrant.

Read Alan MacLeod’s article in FAIR called ‘The Bolivian Coup Is Not a Coup — Because U.S. Wanted It to Happen,’ HERE.

Alan MacLeod is the author of ‘Bad News From Venezuela: 20 Years of Fake News and Misreporting’. He just wrote the piece “The Bolivian Coup Is Not a Coup — Because U.S. Wanted It to Happen” for the media watch group FAIR.

FEATURING RAMESH SRINIVASAN – The advent of the internet came with visions of a democratic future where things like free speech, democracy, equality, and prosperity would be unleashed from the forces that held them back. 

But today’s economy, increasingly dominated by digital technology, has given rise to the so-called “gig economy” of poorly paid and insecure jobs, disinformation and fake news distorting our elections, and racism and hate spreading. 

Writing in a new book about how we can indeed take back the internet and steer it to live up to its proclaimed ideals is Ramesh Srinivasan. 

Ramesh Srinivasan will be speaking on Thursday November 21 at 7:30 pm at Skylight Books in Los Angeles. 

Ramesh Srinivasan is Professor of Information Studies and Design Media Arts at UCLA. His earlier books are ‘Whose Global Village: Rethinking How Technology Shapes Our World and After the Internet’. His new book is called ‘Beyond the Valley: How Innovators around the World are Overcoming Inequality and Creating the Technologies of Tomorrow‘.