Host Kevin Gosztola interviews Jeff Schuhrke, labor historian, journalist, union activist, and author of Blue Collar Empire: The Untold Story Of US Labor's Global Anticommunist Crusade.
Renewed "great power" rivalries threaten billions of lives, along with a host of planetary crises. Within that context, Schuhrke provides an overview of labor history that involves the partnership that the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) had with the CIA, the State Department, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Note: This is the free edition of the episode. For the full version, become a patron at patreon.com/UnauthorizedDisclosure or subscribe at TheDissenter.org

Kevin Gosztola interviews Andy Thayer, a longtime grassroots activist and organizer in Chicago. He is part of a coalition called Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws that obtained a permit for the first protest that will take place on Sunday in opposition to the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
Andy discusses the formation of Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws and why the coalition is marching against the DNC. He also addresses the rich history of Chicago police attacking protesters and trampling on people's First Amendment rights.

And Andy highlights several additional demonstrations that will take place during the DNC and how the city, even under progressive Mayor Brandon Johnson, frustrated requests for march permits.

Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola interview Cuban journalist Liz Oliva Fernández about two documentaries that cover United States policy toward Cuba. Liz, who worked with Belly of the Beast on the films, obtained a visa to travel to the U.S. and confront the very politicians, who are behind the embargo and other measures that disproportionately impact Black Cubans. She spent time in Washington, D.C., and New Jersey, where she spoke to a number of everyday Americans about their attitudes toward Cuba. The first film, "Hardliner on the Hudson," premieres on May 13. It covers corrupt Senator Bob Menendez and his instrumental role in shaping the U.S. agenda against Cuba. The second film, "Uphill on the Hill," examines the "political interests" that have led President Joe Biden to "embrace Trump's economic war on Cuba." It premieres on May 20. Both films will be available on the Belly of the Beast's YouTube channel. *SUBSCRIBE for full episodes and early access to episodes at TheDissenter.org **BECOME a Patron at Patreon.com/UnauthorizedDisclosure for full episodes and early access to episodes

For this week's episode of "Unauthorized Disclosure," Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola welcome Lee Camp to the show. Lee is a stand-up comedian who is the host of "Redacted Tonight." He has a new comedy , "Not Allowed on American TV." He also has a book, Bullet Points & Punch Lines. Stand-up comedy has become near impossible or extraordinarily difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic. We ask Lee what the the last months have been like then quickly pivot to a conversation about deterioration of political comedy in the era of President Donald Trump. Lee talks with us about social media platforms that label your content as "dangerous." Rania and Kevin talk about satire being interpreted more and more as fact or truth. And Lee discusses how he covers United States-backed coups and wars through his comedy, unlike the vast majority of stand-up comedians who delve into politics.

The show was relieved that co-host Rania Khalek survived the Beirut blast and did not suffer any severe injuries. That unfortunately cannot be said for more than 150 people, who were killed, and over 5,000 who were wounded. For this week's episode, Rania recounts her experience during and after the explosion. She describes the widespread devastation in and around the port. She also addresses the criminal negligence on the part of the Lebanese government that led to this tragedy. What happened will have lasting impacts, especially since Lebanon was already in the middle of a massive economic crisis. During the latter portion of the episode, which was recorded exclusively for patrons, Rania provides further clarity on who was responsible and why it could not be Hezbollah or Israel. Both Rania and Kevin Gosztola move on to discuss how Twitter labeled media accounts "state-affiliated," including In The Now, where Rania works. They outline the implications and continue a conversation that took place last week after Maffick (the parent of In The Now) sued Facebook. *To access the exclusive content for this episode go to and subscribe.

For this week's episode, hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola talk about President Donald Trump and Attorney General Bill Barr deploying federal police squads to cities, like Albuquerque, Chicago, and Kansas City. Rania and Kevin also spend some time discussing Democrats in the House and Senate, who voted against a very modest 10 percent cut to the United States military budget. Several showed how they are captives of the military industrial-complex. The final portion of the episode features a tribute to journalist Michael Brooks, who tragically died on July 20. They reflect on the mark that he left on independent media. To unlock the full episode, go to patreon.com/unauthorizeddisclosure and become a subscriber of the show.

Jen Perelman has had the same representative in the United States Congress for nearly 16 years—Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat in Florida’s 23rd congressional district. Now, Perelman is mounting a primary challenge against Wasserman Schultz. For this week's show, we share this interview with Jen about her campaign. She discusses her platform, which includes Medicare For All, the Green New Deal, student loan debt forgiveness, eliminating policing where it is not needed, and dismantling the military-industrial complex. Jen confronts key issues like regime change wars and U.S. meddling in Venezuela.  She also talks about the state of the Democratic Party and what Florida Democrats are doing to protect Wasserman Schultz from her campaign.

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola are joined by journalist Gareth Porter to discuss the media malpractice surrounding "Bountygate," which was manufactured to extend the war in Afghanistan. Gareth has covered national security policy since 2005 and was the recipient of the Gellhorn Prize for Journalism in 2012.  His most recent book, The CIA Insider’s Guide to the Iran Crisis, was co-authored with John Kiriakou and published in February. For the Grayzone, Gareth how the Pentagon "failed to sell the Afghan government's bunk 'Bountygate' story" United States intelligence agencies. The New York Times published a report that was like a bad spinoff to the Russiagate stories they churned out. As it turned out, the Afghan intelligence service known as the National Directorate Security (NDS) was the source of unsubstantiated claims that Russia offered Afghan militants bounties to kill U.S. troops. "This is absolutely the worst so-called intelligence, not real intelligence, scandal of modern history," Gareth contends. "It surpasses Iraq and Iran by a fairly comfortable margin." During the interview, Gareth describes the culprits responsible for pushing this fabricated "bombshell." He addresses the fallout from the alleged story and then focuses on the malpractice by the Times and other media outlets, which have declined to do the kind of follow-up reporting that he has done. In fact, because they seem to recognize it is embarrassing, details that would effectively show the Times committed malpractice were buried in the back pages of the printed edition of their newspaper.

The following is a preview clip. If you enjoy what you hear, become a patron at patreon.com/unauthorizeddisclosure and support the show.  *** During a live broadcast of "Unauthorized Disclosure," hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola discuss the obstacles that stand in the way of ending the war in Afghanistan. Democrats recently made common cause with neoconservative Republicans to ensure President Donald Trump could not withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan. This was tied to dubious reports of Russian bounties for militants who killed U.S. soldiers.

Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola welcome Vincent Bevins, the author of The Jakarta Method: Washington's Anticommunist Crusade and the Mass Murder Program That Shaped Our World, to discuss his book. He was the Brazil correspondent for the Los Angeles Times and the southeast Asia correspondent for the Washington Post. As Bevins contends, United States-backed violence that occurred in Brazil and Indonesia in 1964 and 1965 "greatly reshaped the world." He examines the dark history and legacy of anticommunism in two of the most populous countries. Bevins offers a brief overview of the politics in Indonesia and the Third World and how there really wasn't any opposition or fear of communism until it was fueled by the U.S. and factions within the Indonesian military. Sukarno was removed from power in a CIA coup and replaced by Suharto. Bevins highlights who each of these figures were and describes the massacres that occurred. Later in the interview, Bevins offers his view on the parallels between the 1960s and now. He comments on the economic warfare that was used against Indonesia, U.S. training of military officers from Indonesia, and the way in which the U.S. media justified the bloodshed that occurred.

For this week's show, Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola present a conversation that was recorded several months ago on Angola history: Portuguese colonialism, Black anti-colonial resistance, United States imperialism, and the way in which this history reverberates during President Donald Trump's administration. "Unauthorized Disclosure" welcomed two guests: Prexy Nesbitt, who is a presidential fellow at the Peace Studies Department at Chapman University in Orange County, California where he teaches Southern African History, and Marissa Moorman, who is the author of the book, Powerful Frequencies: Radio, State Power, and the Cold War in Angola, 1931-2002. Prexy was one of Kevin's professors in college, and he wanted to introduce some more people to the history of southern African countries. (Plus, Kevin attributes a significant part of his political awakening in college to Prexy.) Our conversation begins with Marissa, who provides a brief background on Portuguese colonialism in Angola and the rise of black Angolan resistance that ignited a struggle for independence. We pay particular attention to Jonas Savimbi, who was the militant leader of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). Savimbi sought support from the U.S. government, and the government was willing to provide support during the Cold War because they believed Angola was a crucial battleground in the fight against the Soviet Union. The Clark Amendment was repealed in 1985, which removed a prohibition to providing covert or overt U.S. assistance to militant groups in Angola. It was the result of a lobbying effort by conservative organizations like the Conservative Caucus, the Heritage Foundation, and the American Security Council, as well as Senator Jesse Helms, Representative Jack Kemp, and Representative Claude Pepper. Savimbi was as the leader of "true anti-communist freedom fighters." The militant leader even traveled to the United States in 1985 and hired a publicity firm called Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly for $600,000/year. It was tied to President Ronald Reagan, and one of the partners at the firm was Paul Manafort. The firm was largely successful. Reagan said during the tour, "We want to be very helpful to what Dr. Savimbi and his people are tying to do." Later, Marissa and Prexy talk about the civil rights movement and solidarity work with struggles against colonialism in southern Africa. They address how developments in Angola led to fractures in organizing, including among Black activists. We really have not done a show on this part of the world before so we're pleased to share this conversation.

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola are joined by Alex Vitale, sociology professor at Brooklyn College and a coordinator of of the Policing and Social Justice Project. He's also the author of The End of Policing, which is a best-selling book from Verso. E-book copies are available for FREE at . The conversation focuses on the limitations of police reforms, many which have been proposed for decades. Alex particularly highlights the reforms that were proposed by President Barack Obama's administration after Mike Brown, Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, and Tamir and so many others were murdered. "It did nothing to change policing. It did nothing to save George Floyd's life, and people have had enough of it," Alex declares. "They understand that radical changes to our reliance on policing have to be enacted." According to Alex, the response to Floyd's murder caught the establishment media off guard because they were ignoring what communities were doing across the United States to shut down a gang unit or move police overtime into social programs. Alex describes some alternatives that may be pursued by cities that want to turn away from relying so heavily on police. He breaks down what it may mean to "defund" a police department. Later in the show, Alex addresses the issue of protest policing as well as broken windows policing in the country, which reforms pushed by Democrats do virtually nothing to change.

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola discuss the protests calling for justice for George Floyd. They highlight some of the positive developments from the past week while offering an overview of attacks from police departments against protesters. During the show, Rania highlights the issue of whether there may be a spike in the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of demonstrations. Both Rania and Kevin consider how the left may be blamed for a second wave. Later in the conversation, Kevin and Rania highlight the federal government's response to the protests. *Note* The first half of the show was recorded for everyone, and the last half is for only patrons.

On this week's "Unauthorized Disclosure," Kevin Gosztola interviews Greek economist and author Yanis Varoufakis about his new book, "Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism." Yanis argues that "Big Tech has replaced capitalism's twin pillars—markets and profit—with its platforms and [cloud] rents. With every click and scroll, we labor like serfs to increase its power." Later in the show, Yanis outlines the impact this economic transformation has had or may have on geopolitics. He discusses China, the only country with cloud capital capable of rivaling the United States, and what the rivalry between China and the U.S. may mean for the Global South. *This is the free edition of the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast. For full episodes and access to exclusive content, subscribe to the podcast at thedissenter.org/#/portal/signup **Become a patron at patreon.com/unauthorizeddisclosure ***Donate to support the show at thedissenter.org/donate

*This episode was released early for patrons. Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola welcome Matt Kennard, the head of investigations for Declassified UK, to the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast.    is an investigative journalism organization that focuses on U.K. foreign, military, and intelligence policies. Matt describes why he founded Declassified UK and some of the obstacles the organization experiences when it comes to challenging the British national security state. He outlines how The Guardian has transformed into a media organization more beholden to security agencies. He highlights what he considers to be "third rail" subjects that "blue-check" progressives cannot "take a heterodox view" on and retain access to BBC shows or The Guardian.    Later in the discussion, Matt shares his views on how Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the UK have handled the coronavirus response.

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola welcome Anya Parampil, Grayzone contributor and host of "Red Lines." She joins the show to discuss Silvercorp USA and the planned mercenary invasion against Venezuela that failed spectacularly. During the show, Anya highlights the players involved and what the United States government knew and/or should have known about former Green Beret Jordan Goudreau and his negotiations with right-wing opposition leaders, including Juan Guaido. Anya suggests Goudreau wanted Silvercorp USA to be the next Blackwater, and later in the conversation, she talks about a contract that was apparently inked between Goudreau and opposition leaders.   The conversation concludes with an update on how Venezuela is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

Last week's episode of "Unauthorized Disclosure" featured filmmaker Josh Fox, and Kevin Gosztola talked with Josh about the "Planet Of The Humans" documentary that Michael Moore posted to his YouTube. Our interview with Josh was scheduled before the documentary stirred controversy among the climate movement, and we did our best to engage in a constructive critique of the film, even as Josh essentially endorsed censorship of the film by demanding Films For Action take the film off of their website. There are a few problems we aim to address with this additional discussion. Rania Khalek had not seen the film so she was unable to join the conversation between Josh and Kevin. And in the past week, Josh has escalated his rhetoric and now contends the documentary features "fossil fuel talking points" and Michael Moore has essentially become the new flack for the oil and gas industry. Rania and Kevin object to this label that Josh and other voices seem intent to pin on Michael Moore.   In this discussion, Rania, who finally watched the film, offers her review, and Kevin adds some comments that he had difficulty expressing during the prior episode. We both believe censorship is not the answer. If there is misinformation, let's address it. If the framing and the way the movement is covered is problematic, let's have a debate. But acting as if the filmmakers are engaged in personal and vicious attacks against climate leaders, when they have not displayed any malice, only serves to undermine solidarity that we need to confront an ever-looming catastrophe. Or, as PEN America's Summer Lopez , "Calls to pull a film because of disagreement with its content are calls for censorship, plain and simple. Those who take issue with the film have every right to make their concerns and arguments heard, but first and foremost, the public also has the essential right to view Moore’s film and make their own judgements.”

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola are joined by filmmaker Josh Fox to discuss the coronavirus pandemic in the context of of the climate emergency we all face. Josh is the director of "Gasland," "Gasland: Part II," and "How To Let Go Of the World And Love All the Things Climate Can't Change." He collaborated on a documentary on resistance at Standing Rock against the Dakota Access Pipeline that was called "Awake, A Dream From Standing Rock." He currently hosts a show called "Staying Home." In this interview with Josh, he talks about President Donald Trump's administration and the accelerated environmental deregulation occurring during the coronavirus pandemic. He describes how COVID-19 showed the climate is making us sick and by going on lockdown lives were saved. Later in the interview, Josh discusses what needs to happen in communities around the world after the outbreak. Kevin and Josh also have a bit of a debate on the documentary, "Planet Of The Humans." Josh led a campaign that removed the film from Films For Action, which was a distributor for the documentary.

In this episode, Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola interview Ajit Singh, a lawyer and journalist. He recently had two articles published at the Grayzone and the Monthly Review on China's response to the global coronavirus pandemic. He tweets at . For the Grayzone, Ajit how the United States pushed a conspiracy related to China's coronavirus death toll in order to deflect attention away from the failures of President Donald Trump's administration. Ajit the response of China to the United States response in an article for the Monthly Review that was published on March 30. He contended COVID-19 has exposed the "bankruptcy of neoliberalism." "After being demonized by the U.S. establishment as it came to grips with a previously unknown pathogen, China, led by its robust state institutions, has contained the virus with decisive measures and emerged as the global leader in providing medical aid and expertise to countries around the world," Singh recounted.   "Meanwhile, having to prepare bought by China’s disciplined approach, the U.S. government’s response to the pandemic has been woefully inadequate. Relying on the whims of the private sector and 'free market,' the U.S. is now suffering from —with infections per capita currently six times greater than China." Singh concluded, "In the wealthiest country in the world, families are pleading for donations to cover obscene coronavirus treatment costs while doctors and nurses are forced to wear garbage bags to protect themselves and patients amid widespread shortages of basic medical supplies." During the interview, Singh unpacks much of the disinformation around China's response and discusses why the United States government feels so threatened.

For this week's "Unauthorized Disclosure" weekly podcast, Charles Derber, an activist and sociologist at Boston College, talks with Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola about responses to the coronavirus outbreak and how those responses further expose the nature of the United States' capitalist system. Charles begins by sharing his personal experience with his students, who he is teaching through virtual classes. He describes what he believes younger generations are going through. Rania asks Charles whether the pandemic may significantly alter the structure of the economy in the United States. Later in the conversation, Kevin asks Charles about the frontline workers, who are part of "essential services." They explore the question of who deserves safety and who does not deserve safety and the ways in which people are coming to realize society does not value these lives.

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola recorded a live broadcast of the "Unauthorized Disclosure" weekly podcast. The global coronavirus pandemic is bringing out the best at the grassroots level while further exposing who is truly the worst among elites. The pandemic is also making it abundantly clear whose lives people in power value and whose lives they don't.      Rania and Kevin spent the hour responding to questions and comments from patrons and listeners of the show. They discussed the disaster capitalism at the core of a so-called stimulus bill that passed in Congress, as well as racism stemming from those who label COVID-19 the "China virus."   They rundown the severity of the crisis that medical professionals at hospitals throughout the U.S. face.    Later in the show, Rania and Kevin highlight what they impact may be to Gaza and Yemen. They contemplate what the world may be like after the pandemic, given the sociopathic nature of the United States government's response so far.

Host Rania Khalek left Lebanon and traveled back to the United States while the global coronavirus pandemic intensifies in the U.S. and throughout the world. Host Kevin Gosztola is sheltering in place in Illinois. Both are healthy, fortunately. Rania and Kevin spend the show talking about the impact on them personally. That includes Rania highlighting what a relative who is a medical professional is enduring in this crisis. They contend that the dramatic measures to lockdown the United States are crucial, no matter how much one cares about civil liberties. This has to be done, and anyone who tries to defy and flout the measures is extremely selfish. Later in the show, Rania and Kevin talk about the . Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez and the DNC sociopathically pushed onward with primaries in Arizona, Florida, and Illinois and put lives at risk. Kevin went out to vote during the pandemic, and he shares what he observed and why he organized against this criminal recklessness. The show concludes with some discussion of more global issues, in Venezuela and Iran, and some discussion of what can and must be done to help people in these tumultuous and uncertain times. *** We know these are highly stressful times and that some of you are just beginning to suffer from the uncertainty paralyzing our economy. We thank everyone of you who is able to remain a patron, and we will constantly find ways to show our appreciation for you as you keep this show going. Soon there will be an announcement about a live show that will stream next week in the evening either on March 25 or 26. We will let you know as soon as we have exact details. But we will be taking any questions or comments you have for us.

In this week's episode of the weekly podcast, "Unauthorized Disclosure," hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola discuss the intensifying spread of the Coronavirus and its impact on countries throughout the world.    Rania highlights the latest escalation in the war in Idlib in Syria and why it escalated. Later in the show, Rania and Kevin react to the results from Super Tuesday and the power move the Democratic Party establishment executed against Senator Bernie Sanders, which worked incredibly well for elites. The episode concludes with a debate: Kevin takes the position of an optimistic "Bernie Bro" while Rania articulates the view of a cynical person, who may still support Sanders but does not think there is any chance the Democratic Party will ever allow Sanders to have their party's nomination.

For this week's episode, Rania Khalek interviews Kevin Gosztola, who has been in London reporting on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's extradition proceedings. The world had a first chance to hear much of the case the prosecution, as well as the defense, will be making. Kevin talks about the impact of Chelsea Manning's resistance. He describes what the defense presented in relation to Undercover Global, the Spanish security company that engaged in an espionage operation against Assange on behalf of the CIA. Kevin generally talks about the media that were there (and not there), who the judge is that is presiding over the extradition proceedings, and a bombshell allegation made by the defense against President Donald Trump that involves the abuse of pardon power. The show concludes with a brief conversation about the Coronavirus and how the lack of a national healthcare program may make the spread of the virus worse.

For this week's episode, journalist Patrick Winn, who has lived in Bangkok for 15 years, joined the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast to discuss his new book, "Narcotopia: In Search of the Asian Drug Cartel That Survived the CIA."
Patrick is a correspondent for NPR's The World and specializes in reporting on black markets and rebellion in Southeast Asia. He gained special access to the Wa people, who are "among the most vilified people in Asia if not the world." The Wa established a nation state in Myanmar. The nation state exports billions of dollars of heroin and meth every year, and it is controlled by the United Wa State Army (UWSA).
But as Patrick outlines in the interview, the United States has its fingerprints all over this narco-army. "Not only did the CIA create the conditions for its inception, but one of its foremost leaders was also a DEA asset."

*For the full episode, become a subscriber at TheDissenter.org or a patron at Patreon.com/UnauthorizedDisclosure

Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola, hosts of the "Unauthorized Disclosure" weekly podcast, discuss what unfolded in the Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas, Nevada, days before the Nevada Caucuses.    This is the show's first video broadcast, and we're excited to be able to do this. We plan to do more videos, particularly for patrons, in the future. During the episode, Rania and Kevin focus attention on the final question of the debate, where Senator Bernie Sanders was the only one who mentioned superdelegates and endorsed democracy—the idea that if a candidate has the most delegates they should be the Democratic Party's nominee.    They share hare how delighted they were to see all the candidates absolutely hammer former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg. His debate performance certainly undermined the "electability" argument for him.    Later in the broadcast, Rania and Kevin highlight Bloomberg's answer on his role in racist stop-and-frisk policing. They also lay out the way in which a "feud" between the Culinary Workers Union leadership and the Bernie Sanders campaign was manufactured by interests, which want to maintain the status quo for health care.

It was only about a month ago that it seemed President Donald Trump's administration was going to escalate tension and take the United States into an all-out war in Iran. Joining the show this week is CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou, who is the co-author of a , The CIA Insider's Guide To The Iran Crisis: From CIA Coup To The Brink Of War, which he co-authored with journalist Gareth Porter. Our wide-ranging conversation with John veers into discussion of Israel's influence over U.S. foreign policy and what struggles a possible President Bernie Sanders administration would have in challenging The Blob—the foreign policymaking elite in Washington, D.C. We conclude with John's thoughts about the upcoming one-week extradition hearing in WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's case that will take place in the final week of February.

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola are joined by Nomiki Konst, who is the host of the recently , "The Nomiki Show." Nomiki was part of the Unity Reform Commission that reformed several processes in the Democratic primary. She also is in a PAC called Matriarch that was founded to help working class women get elected to Congress. We begin the show with some background on the Unity Reform Commission and how recommendations changed the Iowa Caucuses. She addresses the changes that affected superdelegates. Nomiki talks about what unfolded with the Iowa Caucuses and how states determine whether to hold a caucus or a primary. She highlights one particular smear campaign that was fueled by Neera Tanden and Joy Reid. Throughout our conversation, Nomiki consistently emphasizes that Democrats are fighting over conflicts of interests. They are fighting over the budget. They are fighting over who gets money and who doesn't. Battles over money carry more significance than ensuring superdelegates have influence on the party. Later in the show, Nomiki discusses what fractures the centrist wing of the Democratic Party. What policies proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders terrify them the most? We talk about DNC Chair Tom Perez and how he lobbied for the Iowa Democratic Party to use the app from Shadow. We dig into the cronyism plaguing our elections, and we look ahead to New Hampshire and the rest of the primary, getting Nomiki's views on Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, and Mike Bloomberg.

Days away from the Iowa Caucuses, Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola spend this week's episode talking about evidence that indicates elites in the Democratic National Committee are working to rig the primary against Senator Bernie Sanders (again). Kevin for The Grayzone on the corporate lobbyists, Wall Street consultants, regime-change agents, think tank board members, and former campaign staff for Hillary Clinton that were appointed by DNC Chair Tom Perez to convention committees. A from Kevin featured bios on each of the individuals in this cartoonishly neoliberal cast. Only one of the people appointed to committees is a prominent Sanders supporter. Several are known for their open hostility to a presidential candidate, who has surged into first place in multiple state polls. "The Jimmy Dore Show" through this thread, trying to joke as they made sense of how these ghouls were elevated by the DNC this week. But even they were struggled to joke, as they were stunned at the brazenness of a political party that still engages in acts which are a slap in the face to working class people. We now see the DNC changed rules for debate qualifications to help Mike Bloomberg make the stage for the next debate. Bloomberg donated the maximum to most of the party's state committees. The DNC is allowing a Republican billionaire to hijack their party to stop Sanders. Even so, the Sanders campaign has a lot of strength going into the Iowa Caucuses on February 3, and Rania and Kevin spend the episode digging into these developments and what is at stake.

January 11 was the 18th anniversary of the opening of Guantanamo Bay military prison. It was opened by President George W. Bush's administration to hold detainees indefinitely in the "war on terrorism." President Barack Obama pledged to close Guantanamo, but he failed, and when President Donald Trump was elected, there were still 41 prisoners at Guantanamo and Trump could whatever he wanted with the detention facility. For this week's show, Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola welcome Andy Worthington, who is an investigative journalist, author, campaigner, and activist. He is the co-founder of Close Guantanamo, and his work can be found at Each anniversary Andy makes a trip from the United Kingdom to the United States to participate in actions and speaking events aimed at shutting down Guantanamo. He's done this for 10 years and recounts his 2020 trip, describing what makes this political moment so bleak for prisoners still confined at Guantanamo. Andy highlights what has defined Trump's policy around Guantanamo, and he also comments on from CIA torture architect Dr. James Mitchell during a Guantanamo hearing this past week. Later in the show, Andy expresses his solidarity with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who published the "Gitmo Files," which Andy incorporated into his work telling the stories of the 774 prisoners brought to Guantanamo.

This week, Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola discuss examples of censorship by major tech companies that occurred over the past week. They are targeting postings that relate to Iran. In The Now, which Rania works for, was censored and penalized with multiple months, where content on Facebook will be demonetized. The Grayzone experienced censorship. Wildly, Hulu took down an episode of Anthony Bourdain's CNN show, "Parts Unknown," where he traveled to Iran. Rania and Kevin highlight a story indicating eleven U.S. troops were injured by Iran's missiles that were fired in response to the assassination of Iran General Qassim Soleimani. Later in the show, Rania and Kevin cover what dominated most of the news cycle. Both believe CNN coordinated with Elizabeth Warrens campaign to some degree in order to boost their ratings and also strike a blow against Bernie Sanders' campaign by smearing him as "sexist." CNN and Clinton Democrats up their favorite myths about the 2016 election to attack Sanders again. But amidst all of this predictable behavior, progressive voters had a moment to rethink how they view Elizabeth Warren.

For the first interview of 2020, Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola are joined by Mohammad Marandi, a Tehran University professor in Iran. We start the interview with Mohammad sharing his thoughts about the Iranian response to the U.S. assassination of Iran General Qassim Soleimani. Mohammad describes why Soleimani was and is so revered by Iranians. He talks about the critical role Soleimani played in ensuring the Islamic State did not seize control of Baghdad, Iraq, as well as Damascus, Syria. Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, a commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq, was assassinated in the same strike that killed Soleimani. His assassination received minimal attention in the press. Mohammad talks about Muhandis and what he did for the people of Iraq. Later in the show, Mohammad recalls volunteering at the age of 16 to fight in the Iran-Iraq War. He also discusses the impact of economic sanctions, as well as how the "Resistance Axis" in the Middle East appears to grow stronger with each act of war launched by President Donald Trump's administration.

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola end the year with this episode featuring Katie Halper, co-host of Rolling Stone's "Useful Idiots" podcast and the host of "The Katie Halper Show." Like previous year-end shows, Katie guest hosts for the full episode as Rania and Kevin highlight several major political developments in 2019. They each offer predictions for 2020 in the latter part of the episode, looking ahead to the Democratic presidential primary and beyond.

Our initial plan for this week's episode fell through. We also had limited time in our schedules to record, since Rania Khalek was traveling across the world for work and to get home for the holidays. So, to still give you all something, here is an episode from Kevin Gosztola's new show, the "Dissenter Weekly Update." It covers whistleblower stories as well as the most recent developments with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's case. In this preview, Kevin how the United States government won its lawsuit against NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and can now confiscate proceeds he earned from his book, Permanent Record, as well as his speeches. The episode also highlights a on medical care in immigrant detention facilities and how a federal judge a prison psychiatrist whistleblower in California. Later in the episode, he talks about doctors who urged the Australian government to intervene on behalf of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, as his health deteriorates in Her Majesty’s Prison Belmarsh. There also was a significant procedural hearing in Assange’s extradition case, where we learned key information about how his extradition hearing in February will likely unfold.

Asa Winstanley, an investigative journalist for the Electronic Intifada who has covered Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn since 2015, joins Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola to talk about the result of the UK election. Conservative Party Prime Minister Boris Johnson and conservatives won a resounding victory. Corbyn announced his resignation as Labour Party leader after a harsh defeat. Much of the outcome is owed to Brexit and how it divided the working class. There were many working people upset that the Labour Party supported a second referendum on Brexit, which seemed anti-democratic to them. Asa addresses this in the interview. But as Asa , from the very beginning, Corbyn failed—or refused—to forcefully reject the "Labour anti-Semitism" lying smear campaign directed at him. Propaganda pushed by the Israel lobby, the UK military and intelligence agencies, neoliberals, and right-wing conservatives was initially rejected by voters. But as the smears continued, it soon became accepted—Labour has an anti-Semitism problem and isn't doing enough to address it. By November, the campaign fully escalated to Corbyn is an anti-Semite. Asa discusses many aspects of this smear campaign and warns supporters of Bernie Sanders: don't let the same smears that sank Corbyn tank the Sanders campaign.

Former CIA officer and whistleblower John Kiriakou returns to the "Unauthorized Disclosure" weekly podcast to discuss President Joe Biden's administration making an example out of IRS whistleblower Charles Littlejohn, the "terrorism enhancement" applied against "Vault 7" leaker Joshua Schulte, and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's appeal hearing on February 20.

*Full episode available by becoming a subscriber at TheDissenter.org or a patron at Patreon.com/UnauthorizedDisclosure

For this week, Tom Mueller joins the show to discuss his book, "Crisis of Conscience: Whistleblowing In An Age Of Fraud." It was released in October. Tom describes how he came to work on this book, which over 500-plus pages documents and explores whistleblowing in many different arenas—corporate, institutional, government, etc. He highlights common threads he sees in various whistleblower cases, such as what leads one to become a whistleblower. We talk about the Hanford nuclear waste site in Washington state and the incredible dangers the site poses to humanity. According to Tom, more whistleblowers than any other site on Earth come from Hanford. Yet, very few citizens know about Hanford. Later in the interview, Tom outlines how corporate executives responsible for waste, fraud, abuse, and illegality use universities and philanthropy to launder their reputations. He shares a whistleblower case related to this practice. We conclude with some conversation on national security whistleblowing, what is at stake with President Donald Trump's administration, and how President Barack Obama's administration gave Trump many of the tools he has available for continuing a war on whistleblowers. That includes prosecuting truth-tellers with the Espionage Act.

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola welcome Margaret Kimberley, who is an editor and senior columnist for . One of Kimberley's most recent pieces, which we discuss, is "." Kimberley talks with us about how the United States empire navigates a citizenry that increasingly opposes deploying troops to intervene in countries and how propaganda seeps into our popular culture. She explores how Democrats almost universally support American imperialism, along with Republicans, as well as the limits of liberal opposition to wars launched by the United States. Kimberley comments on Bernie Sanders' foreign policy stances, including his latest comments on the coup in Bolivia.    Later in the show, Kimberley highlights a piece she contributed to an anthology published by , "In Defense of Julian Assange." (It appears right after Kevin's contribution on WikiLeaks and Democrats.)

For this week's episode, Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola spend the full hour on the coup in Bolivia. The military and right-wing opposition forced President Evo Morales to resign after he won a fourth term. The first half of the episode features Kevin Cashman, a senior associate for the Center for Economic Policy and Research (CEPR), who worked on a that analyzed the October 20 election returns and tallies. The analysis concluded there were no irregularities or fraud that affected the outcome. As Cashman describes, the Organization for American States (OAS) put out a preliminary report that Western media relied upon to report there was "electoral fraud," when in fact it failed to prove there were “widespread or systematic irregularities." The second half of the episode is spent highlight some of the figures who are seizing power through violence and the promotion of anti-indigenous hatred. The woman who appointed herself president of Bolivia, Jeanine Añez Chavez, believes indigenous ceremonies are "satanic." She is a religious zealot. Luiz Fernando Camacho, as The Grayzone , is a Christian fascist. He stormed Morales' presidential palace. He held a Bible in his hand and a Bolivia flag in his other hand then pledged to purge the government of its native heritage. Morales and several other government leaders from the Movement Toward Socialism Party were threatened and forced to resign. They managed to flee after Mexico agreed to grant them asylum. In the final part of the show, Rania and Kevin how the United States Capitol Police showed up to Code Pink activist Medea Benjamin's home and attempted to arrest her for "assaulting" Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz at a press conference held to promote congressional support for the coup attempt in Venezuela. The police did not even know if the allegation against Medea was true or not, and they did not have a warrant.

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola welcome journalist Max Blumenthal back to the "Unauthorized Disclosure" weekly podcast. Max is the editor of The Grayzone and co-host of the "Moderate Rebels" podcast. In the first part of the interview, Max recounts how he was arrested by D.C. police essentially out of the blue. He was shackled and in jail for around two days before he was arraigned. He faces a charge of "simple assault" stemming from a baseless allegation from around five months ago when the Venezuela embassy in D.C. besieged by Venezuela opposition supporters. Max talks about what unfolded in May of this year, as Code Pink and various other antiwar activists attempted to protect the embassy from being taken over by supporters of Juan Guaido, who mounted a coup attempt in Venezuela. He also describes the political cases that four embassy protectors face. They were arrested in a raid against a diplomatic building that violated the Vienna Convention. Later in the show, Max and Rania talk about the familiar faction of people who enjoy seeing them attacked for engaging in journalism. They mention their recent trip to Syria and dissect the culture among reporters, who work for establishment media.

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola are joined by Renato Velez, a leftist academic in Chile. He has been involved in the protests and talks with us about how they were sparked. Renato addresses the way in which the military police cracked down on demonstrations and highlights the ties that President Sebastian Pinera's administration has to the regime of Augusto Pinochet. "This is the first time since the end of the dictatorship that the military has been involved in cracking down on protest. We haven't seen military on the streets after an earthquake or a natural disaster. But this is the first time that you have actual army cracking down on protesters," Renato states. Later in the show, Renato describes the role of Chilean students in the uprising and their grievances against the neoliberal policies promoted by the government. He also details how people are pushing for a new constitution in the country. And Renato outlines how the government has responded to political developments in Venezuela (Juan Guaido) as well as Brazil (Jair Bolsonaro).

In the first half of the show, Rania Khalek reports on the protests in Lebanon. She describes what sparked them and highlights what she has seen in the streets of Beirut. Khalek also addresses the false idea in the press that somehow Hezbollah might turn the protests violent. Later in the show, Kevin Gosztola provides an update on Julian Assange and Rania and Kevin discuss how Hillary Clinton attacked Tulsi Gabbard by labeling her a Russian asset.

For this week's episode, Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola interviewed Matt Taibbi, a Rolling Stone reporter and author of the recently released , Hate Inc: Why Today's Media Makes Us Despise One Another. Taibbi is also a host of the new hit podcast from Rolling Stone called "Useful Idiots." He co-hosts the show with Katie Halper, and it often has more listeners (per week) than "Pod Save America." He starts by describing some of his experience in journalism and what led him to write this insightful and enjoyable polemic about the media. Taibbi agrees that cable news is terribly grating on our nerves, and he talks about why that's the case. He also describes how the media sells us an identity. Later in the show, we discuss what happens when media elites decide someone is or should be viewed as a pariah (like Tulsi Gabbard). We speculate on how Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren might do against President Donald Trump. And Taibbi shares his opinion on the media's lack of solidarity with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is the first journalist to be charged with violating the Espionage Act.

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola welcome Carl Zha, the host of "," which is a weekly podcast on the history, culture, and current events of China and the Silk Road. Zha provides a primer on what has unfolded with the protests in Hong Kong. He describes how they started, the role an extradition bill has played, the poverty and inequality fueling protests, and the protesters' demands. He also provides a thumbnail history of the colonial history around China and Hong Kong. He goes on to recall some of the incidents and flashpoints that have occurred, including violence that has been committed by Hong Kong protesters. The National Endowment for Democracy and the Oslo Freedom Forum have provided tactical support. Zha addresses the way in which the U.S. government and U.S. groups are aiding Hong Kong protesters and what that means for the protests. Later in the episode, Zha discusses the nativism inherent in the protests that is directed against mainland Chinese people, and he also highlights the controversy that erupted around the NBA in the past week.

Rania Khalek is back after a break. She talks about her trip to Damascus and the backlash that ensued. We name names, and Rania pointedly replies to some of the worst attacks against her. Many of these were spread with the intent to make further toxic to publications and isolate her so she cannot make a living doing journalism. Rania grapples with what it is like to endure this vitriol from the left. It is much harder when it comes from people who should be on our side. This is highly destructive to building solidarity within progressive or left-wing media.

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola welcome CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou to the podcast. He is a writer and the host of the "Loud and Clear" radio show. Kiriakou briefly recounts how he blew the  whistle on the Bush administration's use of waterboarding and was the target of a leak prosecution. He was in prison for nearly two years.  He addresses some of the whistleblower's allegations, as well as whether it actually shows that President Donald Trump wouldn't provide military aid to Ukraine if the government didn't help him investigate Joe Biden's son.  We get into the issue of impeachment and what led Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to do an about-face and allow an inquiry to begin.  Later in the episode, Kiriakou responds to the New York Times' to publish information that outed the whistleblower as a CIA employee, who worked in the Trump White House.  We raise the issue of the military aid to Ukraine and how it is aimed at potentially provoking Russia, as well as how Democrats like Adam Schiff  have not been supportive of whistleblowers. In the final part of the interview, Kiriakou discusses the case of Daniel Hale, an alleged drone whistleblower, and how the government uses his case to ensure whistleblowers cannot put on a defense when they face Espionage Act charges.

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We kick the year off with a show regular, Matthew Hoh, who is a former Marine, former State Department official, and the associate director for the Eisenhower Media Network, discusses the US government's attacks on Yemenis and how the Israeli government's war on Gaza is expanding to a wider regional conflict.

Host Rania Khalek, along with journalists Max Blumenthal and Anya Parampil, were condemned for traveling  to Damascus, Syria, to report on recent developments in the country. Both Rania and Max have been targeted before by these individuals who have forced or  attempted to force the cancellation of their speaking events. They have rendered them toxic to publishers so their journalism does not reach a wider audience. Previously, on "Unauthorized Disclosure" we've talked about this relentless unending campaign that Rania must confront. Rania responded, "All the bullying and intimidation is meant to stifle attempts at  reporting the reality of the government areas where the overwhelming majority of Syrians live. If Americans saw the reality, the regime change narrative would collapse right away.” This is a 37-minute segment where host Kevin Gosztola leads listeners through what unfolded. It includes comments from Rania, but she was unable to participate in the production of this segment because she is busy producing videos and interviews that feature what she learned from her recent trip. Oh, and she's working to make sure this faction does not succeed in shutting her down. Kevin goes through that documents who attacked Rania and Max and why their attacks have no merit. It synthesizes various streams from Twitter that reflect the meltdown. We have to defend Rania and support the critical work she does, especially on conflicts and political developments in the Middle East. If you want to challenge this faction that obsesses over Rania and diminish the effect of their smear campaign(s), become a patron .

For this week's episode, Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola spend the episode answering questions and discussing comments from patrons. The show's hosts begin by talking about books. They share some of their favorites and talk a bit about what they they're reading currently. They get into whether it matters if you get your analysis of issues or politics from books or podcasts. Later in the show, they discuss how Twitter has impacted their work as radical independent journalists. Rania responds to a question about the similarity between those who attack people for opposing regime change against Iran and those who attack people for opposing regime change against Syria. The show concludes with further discussion of journalists and what leads them to be driven by narratives over more objective facts. And then there's a few minutes on Stephen King and horror films.

*The episode was made available early for patrons. Thank you for making this show possible. The backdrop for this week's episode is especially grim. Forests are burning throughout the global south from the Amazon to the Congo basin. Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola discuss our burning planet. But the episode is far from depressing. In the latter part of the episode, they discuss the media plan put out by Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign, which gives them hope because the collapse of journalism should be a political issue during the 2020 primary. And in the first half of the show, the hosts talk about Dave Chappelle's Netflix special. They both laughed and enjoyed it and push back on much of the outrage while having a larger conversation about politics in comedy.