Obama
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Chomsky: Occupy Wall Street "Has Created Something That Didn’t Really Exist" in U.S. — Solidarity
Noam Chomsky says the Occupy movement has helped rebuild class solidarity and communities of mutual support on a level unseen since the time of the Great Depression. "The Occupy movement spontaneously created something that doesn’t really exist in the country: communities of mutual support, cooperation, open spaces...May 14, 2012 | Story -
Noam Chomsky on WikiLeaks, Obama’s Targeted Assassinations and Latin America’s Break from the U.S.
As the United States carries out another deadly drone strike in Yemen, Noam Chomsky compares the counterterrorism policies of the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. "If the Bush administration didn’t like somebody, they’d kidnap them and send them to torture chambers," Chomsky says. "If the Obama...May 14, 2012 | Story -
Former Labor Sec. Robert Reich on Clinton’s Errors of Crippling Welfare to Repealing Glass-Steagall
Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich critiques President Obama’s handling of the economic crisis and the Clinton administration’s repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act, a key deregulatory move that ended the separation of commercial and investment banking and is widely seen as having helped lead to the financial collapse....May 08, 2012 | Story -
Obama Touts War’s End in Afghanistan, But Critics See Election-Year Guise for Prolonged Occupation
On a surprise visit to Afghanistan, President Obama marked the one-year anniversary of the assassination of Osama bin Laden and announced the signing of a long-term strategic partnership with the Afghan government. In a speech to the U.S. public, Obama said the agreement heralds "a future in which the war ends, and a new...May 02, 2012 | Story -
As Obama Expands Drone War, Activists & Victims’ Advocates Join D.C. Summit on Growing Civilian Toll
Pakistani lawyer Shahzad Akbar, who represents families of civilians killed in U.S. drone strikes, was finally granted a visa to enter the U.S. this week after a long effort by the State Department to block his visit. He has just arrived in Washington, D.C., to attend the "Drone Summit: Killing and Spying by Remote Control,"...April 27, 2012 | Story -
Obama’s Policies: The Real Scandal in Cartagena
By Amy Goodman with Denis Moynihan
President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign launched its first Spanish-language ads this week, just after returning from the Summit of the Americas.April 19, 2012 | Blog Post -
Tavis Smiley & Cornel West on "The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto"
The latest census data shows nearly one in two Americans, or 150 million people, have fallen into poverty — or could be classified as low income. We’re joined by Dr. Cornel West and Tavis Smiley, who continue their efforts to spark a national dialog on the poverty crisis with the new book, "The Rich and the Rest...April 19, 2012 | Story -
Latin America v. Obama: U.S. Policy on Cuba, Drug War, Economy Under Fire at Colombian Summit
Historian Greg Grandin analyzes the U.S.-Colombia "free trade" deal and the deepening split between much of Latin America and Washington following the Summit of the Americas in Colombia. The summit, which was marred by a U.S. prostitution scandal, concluded Sunday without agreement on the key questions of whether Cuba...April 16, 2012 | Story -
Obama Refuses to Back Growing Call for Drug Legalization to Stem Spreading Violence in Latin America
While the presidents of Guatemala, Colombia, Costa Rica and El Salvador have voiced support for an end to the drug war, President Obama rejected their calls for drug legalization during high-level talks at the Summit of the Americas in Colombia. Obama warned that legalization could lead to greater problems, but he expressed willingness...April 16, 2012 | Story -
"Rebuild the Dream": Ex-Obama Adviser Van Jones on Life Inside White House, Right-Wing Smear Attack
Forced out of his job as White House special adviser on green jobs by a right-wing smear campaign, Jones has just become the first former Obama official to release a book. It’s called "Rebuild the Dream," and its release comes on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination. Obama appointed...April 03, 2012 | Story -
"Two Sources of Power": Van Jones on Need for Obama Re-election, Building Occupy-Like Mass Movements
We speak with former White House adviser Van Jones about what role the Occupy movement can and should play in re-electing President Obama. He says one reason he launched his Rebuild the Dream campaign last summer was to recognize economic issues not being effectively addressed by progressives. "We’re very good on issues...April 03, 2012 | Story -
"The Fight Is Never Over": Van Jones on Keystone XL Pipeline, Green Jobs and MLK’s Legacy
Van Jones, former green jobs adviser to the White House, responds to Obama’s recent support for TransCanada to build the southern leg of its Keystone XL oil pipeline from Oklahoma to Texas, despite his earlier rejection of the project after large civil disobedience protests by environmental groups. "The lesson here...April 03, 2012 | Story -
Van Jones on Democracy Now! Tuesday–Read An Excerpt From His New Book, "Rebuild the Dream"
As of Van Jones’ is interviewed on Democracy Now!, you can read an excerpt from the green economy pioneer’s newest book, which reflects on his journey from grassroots outsider to White House insider, shares details of his time in the Obama administration and his resignation after coming under attack from then-Fox...April 02, 2012 | Blog Post -
Part 2: Ahmed Rashid on U.S. Relations with Pakistan and Afghanistan, Drones, and Journalists in Danger
We continue our discussion with veteran Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid, whose new book details clandestine talks between the U.S. and the Taliban, the Obama administration’s expanded use of drones and the accompanying rise in civilian deaths, and how more "physical harm is now coming to journalists" who are...March 28, 2012 | Blog Post -
Industry Whistleblower Wendell Potter: However Court Rules on Healthcare, Solution is Single Payer
As the Supreme Court examines whether Americans can be penalized if they lack medical coverage, we’re joined by health industry whistleblower, Wendell Potter. A former spokesperson for CIGNA and Humana Insurance, Potter is the author of "Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR is Killing...March 28, 2012 | Story -
"Pakistan on the Brink": Ahmed Rashid on Perilous Ties Between the U.S., Pakistan and Afghanistan
Top U.S. and Pakistani military officials meet today in Islamabad for the first high-level talks since NATO air strikes killed two dozen Pakistani soldiers last November. The meeting comes one day after President Obama met with Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. Relations between the two countries have soured over the...March 28, 2012 | Story -
Healthcare Debate: As Supreme Court Hears Landmark Case, Does Law Do Enough to Fix Health Crisis?
As the Supreme Court weighs whether the Affordable Care Act goes too far, we host a debate on whether the law goes far enough. The case is reviving the heated tensions that surrounded the healthcare reform law in the debate leading up to its passage two years ago. Although support for the measure is often equated with backing...March 27, 2012 | Story -
Part 2: Former NSA Employee Thomas Drake and Jesselyn Radack on Obama Admin. Whistleblower Crackdown
We continue our conversation with Thomas Drake, who was prosecuted by the Obama administration after challenging mismanagement, waste and possible constitutional violations at the National Security Administration. "I’m the first to acknowledge that there are secrets that must be protected. But not when it comes to...March 26, 2012 | Story -
Bill McKibben: Winter Heat Wave Underscores Need for Obama to Reject, Not Fast-Track, Keystone XL
As President Obama heads to Oklahoma today to announce the fast-tracking of the southern portion of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Oklahoma to Texas, we speak with 350.org’s Bill McKibben. The pipeline approval comes two months after Obama rejected a proposal for the 1,300-mile Keystone XL pipeline from the Alberta tar...March 22, 2012 | Story -
"Terror, Trauma, and the Endless Afghan War." By Amy Goodman
By Amy Goodman with Denis Moynihan
We may never know what drove a U.S. Army staff sergeant to head out into the Afghan night and allegedly murder at least 16 civilians in their homes, among them nine children and three women. The attack has been called tragic, which it surely is. But when Afghans attack U.S. forces, they are called...March 15, 2012 | Blog Post
By Amy Goodman with Denis Moynihan
Gen. John Allen, commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, spoke Wednesday at the Pentagon, four stars on each shoulder, his chest bedecked with medals. Unlike Allen, many decorated U.S. military veterans left the streets of Chicago after the NATO summit without their medals.
In an extended interview, David Bronner, president of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, discusses the history of the company, why they put sustainability and social justice ahead of profits, the organic and GMO labeling movements, the U.S. war on hemp, and why they refuse to sell out. [includes rush transcript]
Human Rights Watch’s Kenneth Roth examines why the U.S. has not pressured Bahrain to release pro-democracy activists. He also discusses Syria and the conditions in Israeli jails and courts that prompted 1,550 Palestinian prisoners to go on a hunger strike. [includes rush transcript]






