Clearing the FOG with co-hosts Margaret Flowers and Kevin Zeese

The United States and its allies are waging a long term battle for Venezuela's abundant resources, which include oil, gas, gold, diamonds and minerals. The Venezuelan government, through the Bolivarian Process, is trying to use those resources to meet the needs of its people for housing, education, health care, food and more. We speak with Paul Dobson, a resident of Venezuela and journalist, about how Venezuelans are organized to resist the escalating attacks by the US and its allies and how US efforts are backfiring by consolidating support for the democratically-elected President, Nicolás Maduro. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG. And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Through a series of mergers, pesticide companies are consolidating, taking over seed companies and pushing genetically-engineered foods. Companies such as Monsanto, now merged with Bayer, and Dow and Dupont, which have merged, are chemical companies with a long history of producing toxic chemicals, including chemical weapons used in warfare. We speak with Mitchel Cohen and Robin Esser, authors of "The fight Against Monsanto's Roundup: The Politics of Pesticides," who spoke about the corruption and health impacts of pesticides as well as the connections to imperialism and colonialism. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG. And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

In a new report, "Dreams Deferred: How Enriching the 1% Widens the Racial Wealth Divide," researchers at the Institute for Policy Studies outline how the racial wealth gap has widened over the past thirty years and how this fits the long term pattern of systemic racism. We speak with one of the authors, Sabrina Terry, about the findings in the report and recommendations for closing the wealth divide. We report live from Caracas, Venezuela where the United States is continuing its aggressive efforts at regime change. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG. And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

The United States has a long history of interfering in Iranian politics. Perhaps the most famous is the coup of the democratically-elected prime minister Mohammad Mossadegh in 1953 followed by the re-installation of the US-friendly brutal shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Since the revolution in 1979, which overthrew the shah and put in place a representative theocratic government, the US has sanctioned Iran and both supported and threatened military attacks. Now, in addition to increased sanctions, Iranians are banned from traveling to the US and US citizens have great difficulty getting visas to visit Iran. We spent nine days in Iran and bring you this interview with Dr. Foad Izadi, a professor who teaches American Studies at the University of Tehran about the impacts of the sanctions, their state of democracy and how Iranian students view the US and Iran. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG. And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

After years of corruption and neglect of the Haitian people, a popular revolt is demanding the current president's resignation. The US-led attempted coup in Venezuela played a role in sparking the protests as the Haitian government sided with the US in voting to recognize Juan Guaido, the fake president over President Maduro, the democratically-elected president. Haiti and Venezuela share a history of interconnected revolution and mutual aid since 1804. We interview Kim Ives, an editor of Haiti Liberté, who has been covering Haiti for decades, about the protests and the bigger picture of imperialism. We also report live from Tehran, Iran where we are on a peace delegation. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG. And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Progressives have been trying to make the Democratic Party move to the left and adopt their agenda since Senator Bernie Sanders started running for president in 2015. Like the many who have tried before them, they have failed. We speak with Nick Brana, the former national political outreach director for the Sanders campaign and a co-founder of Our Revolution who was on the inside of that effort, about what happened when they tried, where the party is now and what he sees as a path forward to build political power on the left. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG. And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

The climate crisis is no longer an abstract concept, it is here and it is getting worse. Each new report finds the temperatures are getting hotter, the ice is melting faster and the seas are rising, not to mention the storms, fires and droughts. In his new book, "The End of Ice," Dahr Jamail takes us on tour to the places where the impacts of climate disruption are evident. And he takes us on a tour of his personal journey through grief to acceptance and even hope. Jamail shows us the reality of the climate crisis and offers advice for how to relate to it in a meaningful way. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG. And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

On January 23 2019, Juan Guaidó, the current president of the defunct Venezuelan National Assembly, pronounced himself the president of the country. The United States, Canada, the European Union and a few Latin American countries immediately recognized him, while Russia, China, Mexico and many other countries support the democratically-elected current president, Nicolas Maduro. How did this relatively unknown man who barely won his race for the assembly rise to the position of fake president? We discuss that and more with Dan Cohen of The Grayzone Project. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG. And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn.

The Yellow Vests (Gilets Jaunes) movement of workers in France just completed its eleventh act this past weekend. They are revolting against neoliberalism and austerity and rule by and for the wealthy. There are many similarities to the Yellow Vest movement and the Occupy movement. We speak with Lola Girerd, a post-doctoral student in Paris who is participating in and studying the Yellow Vests, about what the protests are like, what they are about and how the Macron government is responding to them. We also discuss recent news, including mass climate actions, strikes and the US-led coup in Venezuela. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG. And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

The case of Mumia Abu Jamal, who was framed with the murder of a police officer, has had some important breakthroughs in the last month including allowing him appeal rights and the finding of six previously undisclosed boxes of evidence in his case. This could result in the dismissal of his case and release from prison after 37 years. We talk with Rachel Wolkenstein, who has served as an attorney and advocate for Mumia since 1990. Wolkenstein explains the significance of his case in the context of racist police enforcement, mass incarceration, the myths of US justice and legal lynching and describes evidence showing Mumia was framed because of his political activism. She argues that Mumia will only get justice if a mass movement demands it. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG. And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

The Wet'suwet'en Nation, which has never ceded its territory, has been working to stop a number of pipelines that Canada wants to build through their territory for the past ten years. This struggle came to a head last week when Canadian police violated their agreement with the Gidumt'en Clan by using violence to remove their blockade and arrest fourteen members. We speak with Jennifer Wickham, who is a member of the Gidumt'en Clan, about what is happening in this pivotal fight to protect the land, water and earth and what can be done to support the Wet'suwet'en People. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG. And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

The United States military is building another base on Okinawa in an environmentally-sensitive area, on top of the second most diverse coral reef in the world, against the will of Okinawans who have been protesting every day for over 1,600 days. There are many reasons why this base should not be built. We discuss those with Robert Kajiwara, a Hawaiian-Okinawan human rights activist, as well as why he traveled to Washington, DC and new developments in the struggle to regain Hawaiian sovereignty. And we cover news and upcoming actions. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG. And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

The Green New Deal, a plan to transform the economy to one based on clean, renewable energy sources and other measures to adapt to the climate crisis and protect human rights, gained widespread attention in 2018. We speak with Howie Hawkins from New York, who brought the concept of the Green New Deal to the United States, about what the plan involves, where it is now and what it will take to win it. Hawkins, a long time activist, unionist and political candidate, also puts this struggle in the context of political history and the role of third parties. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG. And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

As 2018 comes to a close, we bring back this interview with Kali Akuno from January, 2017, just prior to President Trump's inauguration. Akuno has been an organizer in the South for decades and is currently active with Cooperation Jackson in Mississippi. He started a movement called "Ungovernable" to encourage resistance to oppressive policies and the building of alternatives. Akuno brings a wealth of experience and wisdom when it comes to organizing, political analysis and the state of the movement in the US. This is a must listen as we prepare for 2019 and beyond. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

Sometimes the truth is painful to hear, but if we don't know what is going on or what we are up against, it's impossible to change it. We speak with political comedian Lee Camp about how he began using humor to tell people the truth and his current one-hour special, "Super Patriotic Very Uncle Sam Comedy Special Not Allowed on American TV." We also delve into his take on current issues and the state of resistance movements. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

The majority of people in the United States are in a position of wage slavery, in which they depend on their boss for the ability to survive, but it has been so normalized that many do not question this arrangement. We bring back an interview with John Curl, author of "For All the People: Uncovering the Hidden History of Cooperation, Cooperative Movements and Communalism in America." He writes about the long history, that isn't often taught, of people who created cooperative structures to counter the power of industry and finance. Cooperative movements often parallel social movements. We discuss why this matters today. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

On November 30, leaders of the United States, Mexico and Canada signed the revised North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) at the G20 in Argentina. The new NAFTA is an updated version of rigged corporate trade that sells out workers and endangers the environment for profits. We speak with Arthur Stamoulis of Citizens Trade about what is in the new NAFTA and the politics around it. We have an opportunity to stop this model of rigged corporate trade, which began in the 1990s with NAFTA, and replace it with a trade model that protects people and the planet. Learn what you can do. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

In his new book, "America: The Farewell Tour," based on his travels around the United States, Chris Hedges describes the decline of society and how that brought President Trump into power. Trump is a symptom of failing systems, and there will be more Trumps until things change. We speak with Hedges in depth about the basis for what is happening, what he has learned while covering other countries that went through similar transitions and what we must do if we are to weather the current crises.

People often think that fascism began with Hitler and Mussolini, but fascism actually has its roots in the United States and was exported to other countries. In this extended interview, we speak with Glen Ford of Black Agenda Report about various types of fascism, its history and how it is manifested in the United States today. In fact, the very people who claim to be "the resistance" to fascism right now are actually supporting it. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a conservative body, estimates that humans have twelve years to take effective action to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Given the lack of response by most governments to do what is necessary, a new movement has arisen in the United Kingdom targeting the House of Parliament to force significant policy changes. Called the Extinction Rebellion, this movement needs to go global. We spoke with Marijn Van de Geer about what the Extinction Rebellion is doing, their model of change and how to get involved. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

Throughout history, there has been tension between those who desire obedience to authority and those who question authority. It is those who question authority that contribute to social change, but our culture does not treat them well. We speak with psychologist Bruce E. Levine about his latest book, "Resisting Illegitimate Authority: A Thinking Person's Guide to being an Anti-Authoritarian - Strategies, Tools and Models" and the lessons it teaches for the political moment in which we find ourselves, how anti-authoritarianism is being suppressed and what we must do. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

For decades, US policies have created economic crises and violence that drive people from their homes in search of a place where they can work and live. Rather than recognizing that US imperialism causes migration and changing US foreign policy, the US has increasingly militarized its borders to keep people out. We speak with Dévora González, an organizer with School of Americas Watch, who is the daughter of migrants and lives in the border lands, about what it is like to live in a low intensity war zone and the criminalization of migrants who are trying to survive. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

The United States has been at war or involved in military aggression for all but a few years since its founding. This is not surprising when we understand that the US is the largest empire in the history of the world. We speak with Ajamu Baraka, national organizer for Black Alliance for Peace, about imperialism and its connections to colonialism, racism and white supremacy. Without an understanding of imperialism, people in the US who believe they are for peace wind up supporting war and intervention. This is why it is critical that peace advocates are also against imperialism in all of its forms.

Compared to other wealthy countries, large sectors of the US economy are more socialized than is realized. From energy to water to transportation, land and more, and from cities and states to the nation, there is public ownership and control. The neo-liberal era of privatization is winding down. This has particularly accelerated following the 2008 financial crash. We speak with Thomas Hanna, author of "Our Common Wealth: The Return of Public Ownership in the United States," about reclaiming public goods and how to prepare for the next financial crash. Plus, we put the current news in the context of the bigger picture. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

In 2017, eight men controlled half of the world's wealth and 70% of the world controls 5% of the wealth. Global elites, the 1%, are consolidating their fortunes without regard for the remaining 99% or the welfare of the planet. It is important to understand how this small number of people control the world and who they are so that we know what we're up against and whom to hold accountable. We speak with Peter Phillips, author of "Giants: The Global Power Elite," about his decades of work tracking the power holders and what we do to create a more just and sustainable world.

The 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly is taking place right now. President Trump spoke before the General Assembly and chaired a session of the Security Council. While the media has mostly focused on the laughter that arose when Trump claimed his administration has done the most of any president, there is much more going on both openly and behind the scenes. We speak with James Paul, who has monitored the UN for two decades, about the current meeting, the state of the world and what we must do. Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

From August 21 to September 9, prisoners in 17 states went on strike to protest inhuman living and working conditions and to promote ten basic demands. Although the formal strike is over, some prisoners are being retaliated against and others are continuing to strike. We speak with Amani Sawari, a prisoner's rights activist, about the strike, the demands and how we can all provide support to finally end legalized slavery in the United States.

The current generation is the first one in history that will have a lower standard of living than its predecessors and a shorter life expectancy. In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash, where there are more people in part-time jobs with lower wages, fewer benefits and massive debt, people are forced to find ways to make a living. In his new book, "Everything for Everyone: The Radical Traditions that are Shaping the New Economy," Nathan Schneider explains how his generation is incorporating old traditions, such as worker ownership, with new technology in creative ways to form a new economy that ends exploitation and nurtures fairness and democracy. For an in-depth discussion of the political impacts of the 2008 financial crash and where we're headed, subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

There is a rising awareness that capitalism is at the root of many of the crises that we face, from the economy to the environment and climate change to the absence of democracy. We need to end capitalism to solve these crises. We speak with Emily Kawano, coordinator of the United States Solidarity Economy Network, about how we are changing the economy right now, what the end of capitalism (as a dominant part of the economy) would look like and how to answer those who worry that it can't or shouldn't be done.

We speak with Medea Benjamin, who has traveled to and written about US conflicts in the Middle East, about the war on Yemen, the origins, the extent of US involvement and how it connects to other conflicts. Yemen is a current center of failed US foreign policy. We also discuss what we can do about it, as well as Labor Day and current news. For an in-depth discussion on the tenth anniversary of the financial crisis of why the banks got bailed out and why we didn't, plus what we can do differently next time, subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

Chase Iron Eyes, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and an attorney with the Lakota People's Law Project, describes the movement to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline and his almost two-year fight against felony charges. His work to develop a necessity defense led to the uncovering of corruption and collusion between industry, law enforcement and government. Chase also gives his analysis of what the mobilization at Standing Rock means in the greater context of colonialism, capitalism and the absence of democracy. He explains the work that he and others at the Lakota People's Law Project are doing to reclaim Indigenous culture and sovereignty and create alternatives to current systems. For an in-depth discussion of the changing global dynamics, what that means to people in the United States and what we can do about it, subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

Seventy years ago, the Israeli military attacked a US Naval vessel and, mysteriously, the President prevented the US military from protecting the people on that ship and the investigation was a sham. We speak with a survivor of that attack, Joe Meadors, about the efforts to expose what happened and why he currently risks his life to save Palestinians.

The national movement for improved Medicare for All is gaining momentum, which means that we have the real potential to win a national universal public health insurance and means that our opponents will double down on preventing this. We speak with Dr. Carol Paris, outgoing president of Physicians for a National Health Program, about how the single payer healthcare movement has changed in the Trump era and where it needs to go. We also cover recent news, including the successful anti-racist actions in DC, the recent verdict against Monsanto and an update on the UPS worker fight for a contract. Visit www.ClearingtheFOGRadio.org. For a more in-depth discussion of the movement for national Improved Medicare for All and specifics on ways the opponents are fighting back, subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

People in the United States have a long way to go to achieve the social and economic gains that other countries, such as the Nordic ones, have. The big question is - how do we make those gains? We discuss that with George Lakey, a lifelong activist, academic and movement strategist. On the one year anniversary of the Charlottesville rallies, we explore the question of how to confront the overt racism in the US and how to dis-empower white supremacists. We also cover current news and upcoming actions. For more information, visit www.ClearingtheFOGRadio.org. Do you want to keep the conversation going? Join our Patreon community and you'll receive the bonus show, "Thinking It Through," as well as other goods and benefits. Visit Patreon.com/clearingthefog to learn more.

During the scripted Trump-Putin press conference in Helsinki, Finland, a US journalist, Sam Husseini, was taken into police custody for holding a small sign. Husseini, a long time advocate for exposing and breaking through the corporate media machine, hoped to ask a few critical questions of the world leaders. He speaks about the press conference, how he was treated and the state of media in general. We also cover recent news including the Mueller indictments, Russia gate, NATO, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and the release of Ahed Tamimi and her mother. On our new program, "Thinking it Through," we discuss what a people's media looks like in greater depth. To hear "Thinking It Through" and support improvements to Clearing the FOG, join the new Patreon campaign at patreon.com/clearingthefog. You will also find new Clearing the FOG gear. For more information, visit ClearingtheFOGRadio.org.

UPS workers are in a critical struggle with both their employer and their union, the Teamsters, which are pushing a poor contract on them. Like many workers in the United States, UPS workers are facing low wages and cuts to health care and other benefits. Although UPS workers nationwide voted by over 90% to go on strike, they are being told that the new five-year contract is a "done deal." Rank and file workers are doing all they can to reach workers and let them know that this is not the case. They can still reject the contract and keep fighting for a better one. We discuss why this is an important step in raising the standards for all workers and why all people need to support UPS workers now with Richard Hooker of #623LivesMatter. For more information, visit www.ClearingtheFOGRadio.org.

Violent protests have been going on since April of this year, forcing residents to stay indoors. While the corporate media and an army of online trolls have been making false claims about the Ortega government, the reality is exactly the opposite. We speak with Stephen Sefton, who lives in Nicaragua and is a founder of Tortilla con Sal. He names the names behind the violence and describes what is really happening. We also discuss recent news and upcoming events. For more information, visit www.ClearingtheFOGRadio.org.

Labor unions have been on the decline in the United States for over fifty years, which has caused a decline in wages, working environments and overall social conditions. In other countries, a strong alliance between labor unions and social movements have brought improvements. We discuss two major mistakes that labor made in the United States that caused its decline, the recent Supreme Court decision on Janus and what workers must do now to improve their situation. We also discuss recent news and cut through the corporate media fog on major issues. For more information, visit www.ClearingtheFGRadio.org.

Two major crises of our era are growing wealth inequality and its resultant poverty and climate change, which is connected to a variety of environmental issues. Neither of these crises can be resolved without addressing the underlying root cause of capitalism, but many people are uncertain about what an economy beyond capitalism looks like. In his new book, Red Green Revolution: The Politics and Technology of Ecosocialism, Victor Wallis explains why a livable future must be ecosocialist, what ecosocialism is and how we get there. We discuss his book and the latest news. For more information, visit www.ClearingtheFOGRadio.org.

This Juneteenth, there are actions around the militarization of police and community-based efforts to create security without the police. Eugene Puryear, who works with Stop Police Terror DC, discusses the Washington DC version of "Stop and Frisk," which involves Jump Out Squads, and the efforts to get data on how this program works. Stop Police Terror DC grew out of mass Black Lives Matter protests, which Puryer helped organize, in reaction to the police violence in Ferguson, MO and around the country. We also discuss current events including immigration issues around separating parents from their children and treatment of youth who were brought to the US as children, protests in support of Julian Assange, US regime change efforts in Nicaragua and the initial agreement between the United States and North Korea. For more information, visit www.ClearingtheFOGRadio.org.

For the 50th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Poor People's Campaign and Resurrection City, poor and houseless people marched from the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia to Washington, DC where they are setting up a Resurrection City in DuPont Circle. We speak with Tiny (aka Lisa Gray-Garcia), co-founder of POOR Magazine and a participant on the march, about the reality of poverty in the United States. Tiny describes the march and the intersections between poverty and many other areas such as mass incarceration, health and colonization. This is a poor-led people's campaign that is not only resisting the policies and systems that drive the current crises, but is also putting forth poor people-led solutions, such as the Bank of Community Reparations and Homefulness. For more information, visit www.ClearingtheFOGRadio.org.

The Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela just succeeded against the forces of US imperialism through the election of Nicolas Maduro for a second term as president. US officials were openly calling for regime change, supporting opposition forces and announcing that the recent presidential election was illegitimate before it even occurred. We spoke with Roger Harris, past president of Task Force Americas, who participated in an international delegation with Kevin Zeese to Venezuela during the election, about the revolution, the bloodbath that will occur if US empire succeeds in regime change and the necessity of US activists to be in solidarity with Venezuela. For more information, visit www.ClearingtheFOGRadio.org.

Since the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010, there has been an unprecedented consolidation in the healthcare industry. Giant medical corporations are investing in "vertical integration," which basically means they own everything, including the hospitals, doctor's practices, long term care centers, pharmacies, insurances (both public and private), and more. This gives corporations the power to have control over hospitals and health professionals. Their interest is a healthy bottom line, not the health of patients and communities. Non-profits are just as ruthless as the for-profits, and on top of that they don't pay taxes. We speak with Dr. Anna Reed about the way this is playing out in Maryland and putting children and the poor at risk. For more information, visit www.ClearingtheFOGRadio.org.

First there were charter schools and high stakes testing, and now we are entering a whole new realm of corporate education that treats students as commodities and views schools and teachers as obstacles to profits. Education corporations are pushing computer-based learning on students and crowding out classroom-based instruction, even though studies show online learning is less effective. On top of that, new education tech also monitors students' eye movements, vital signs and emotional state. It is mining data on students from preschool on up that can be sold to marketers and used to determine a student's future. We speak with Morna McDermott, an educator and mom who co-founded the Opt Out Movement and has launched a new campaign, "Classrooms, Not Computers." For more information, visit www.ClearingtheFOGRadio.org.

Each new study on climate change shows that not only is the crisis here now, but changes are happening a century earlier than predicted. We speak with respected climate scientist, Dr. Michael Mann, about what we can expect in the next decades and what we need to do to mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis. We also cover recent movement news and upcoming actions. For more information, visit www.ClearingtheFOGRadio.org.

The meeting between President Moon Jae-in of South Korea and Chairman Kim Jong Un of North Korea resulted in an agreement to end the Korean War and work toward unity. Their declaration was a major breakthrough where the two Koreas announced Koreans will determine their own fate and end hostilities on the Korean Peninsula. We speak with Hyun Lee, an editor of Zoom In Korea and a peace activist who is a member of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea, about the importance of their meeting and what to expect from President Trump's upcoming meeting with Kim Jong Un. We also provide news and activism updates. For more information, visit www.ClearingtheFOGRadio.org.

Chelsea Manning is running for U.S. Senate in Maryland in the Democratic Party primary against career politician, Ben Cardin. She explains why she is running, her concerns about the future, which should be of concern to all of us, and what we should be doing right now. We also bring you news and upcoming actions that you can join. For more information, visit www.ClearingtheFOGRadio.org.

We speak with Vijay Prashad, who provides insightful analysis of the situation in Syria and the aerial bombing of Damascus by the US. The US' claims, which were used to justify the bombing, of attacking Syrian chemical weapons facilities make little sense. If the US knew of such facilities, the information should have been provided to the UN so they could be inspected. Prashad finds it strange that the US attacked Damascus while chemical weapons investigators were in Syria and had not yet completed their investigation of the alleged chemical attack. The attack did not change the balance of power. Syria continues to regain control of its territory and the rebels, along with their allies, i.e. the US, UK and France, have been routed. These and other issues around the Syrian war are discussed and Prashad also examines the impact of US actions on conflicts with North Korea and Iran. For more information, visit www.ClearingtheFOGRadio.org.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Poor People's Campaign, called for by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Although Dr. King was murdered a month prior to the Poor People's Campaign, it happened anyway. Resurrection City was built on the Mall in Washington, DC and people stayed there for six weeks. Fifty years later, widespread poverty exists and the "evils" of racism, capitalism and militarism are still in crisis. Two major campaigns are organizing poor people across the country. We speak with Cheri Honkala of the Poor People's Economic and Human Rights Campaign and Rev. Robin Tanner of the Repairers of the Breach. For more information, visit www.ClearingtheFOGRadio.org.

In Palestine, on Friday, March 30, Land Day, thousands of Palestinians demonstrated. This began six weeks of protests leading up to the 70th anniversary of the Nakba on May 15. Israeli soldiers fired at the demonstrators with live ammunition killing 17 and wounding over one thousand. We speak with author and activist Miko Peled about the violent occupation of Palestine by Zionists. The United States is a top supporter of the occupation through funding of the Israeli military and providing cover for Israeli violations of international law in the United Nations. Peled emphasizes that activists in the US have a responsibility to take action to end the occupation of Palestine and outlines many ways to do this, including an aggressive BDS campaign and support for legislation in Congress. Peled says "Israel" is an illegitimate state and the area should be called Palestine. He also speaks about his newest book, "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five." For more information, visit www.ClearingtheFOGRadio.org.