CovertAction Bulletin

NYC on fire: How do we solve the global climate crisis?

In early June, cities in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the US were blanketed by smoke from wildfires in Canada, some hundreds of which are still burning. Air Quality Index levels reached nearly 500 in New York City at one point, well into the “hazardous” range. In fact, New York City was briefly the world’s most polluted city during that time. New York does not normally fall in the worst 3,000 global cities for air quality. 

Incidents like the wildfire smoke bring attention to the problem of global climate change, but the proposals put forward by the private sector and major industrialized governments don’t solve the issue - and in fact they put the burden on the rest of the world. So what’s happening, and what are some real solutions?

We’re joined by Brandon Wu, Director of Policy and Campaigns at ActionAid USA.

Culture Wars, U.S. Imperialism & Pride Month

Pride month is here in the US. It’s a time for LGBTQ people to celebrate, to build community, to honor our elders, and to continue the tradition of protest for recognition, safety and equal rights. In the face of “don’t say gay” laws, book bans, street harassment, attacks on trans athletes and drag shows and laws targeting trans healthcare and even families who provide gender-affirming care for trans children, Pride has a stronger meaning and spirit behind it this year.

These renewed attacks by the right wing in the US have been joined by PR campaigns and boycotts against Target, Bud Light and more. But even though these companies might put a rainbow on their logo for a month, they can’t be the basis of resistance to these ongoing attacks against LGBTQ people.

The history of Pride in the US is one of resistance. So how have these corporations gotten involved? What is the right wing actually trying to achieve? And how does the idea of rainbow capitalism tie into all of this?

We also discuss the hidden US-based influences behind the “Kill the Gays” bill recently sign in Uganda. Far-right Christian organizations have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into evangelical operations in Africa alone over the last decade.

We’re joined by Karleigh Webb, a journalist, socialist and organizer focusing on LGBTQ liberation. She’s also a Grand Marshal of the 2023 Middletown Pride Fest in Middletown, CT.

Eyewitness: Horrors at the Border from Biden’s Policies

What is the real impact of Biden’s anti-immigrant policies on the border and where is the outrage?

On May 11, the U.S. government’s Title 42 regulation expired. It had been in place for three years and prevented nearly all people who sought asylum in the United States from applying for it. 

The Biden administration continues to militarize the border with 1,500 new National Guard soldiers. The so-called “transit ban” would block anyone who comes through a third country between their own and the United States. As the U.S. places harsher sanctions on countries like Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, the impact can be seen at the border.

To give us the real insight of the actual impact of Biden’s asylum ban, we speak with Rachell Tucker and Kaden Thaxton, grassroots journalists and activists based in San Antonio who visited the Matamoros encampment right across the border from Brownsville Texas.

The Debt Ceiling is Political Theater

The “debt ceiling” crisis playing out between President Biden and Congressional Republicans is manufactured by capitalism to justify spending cuts to critical social programs while continuing to bail out big businesses and fund the Pentagon’s endless war drive.

This comes after the taxpayer-funded bailouts of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank show the willingness of the capitalist system to do everything it can to keep itself afloat. 

To talk about the debt ceiling, bank bailouts, inflation and more, we’re joined by Chris Caruso from the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights & Social Justice.

Assange Writes Letter to King Charles Before £100 Million Coronation

To mark the occasion of the coronation of King Charles the III, Julian Assange wrote a scathing public letter to the new monarch from his cell at Belmarsh prison, where he’s been held for over four years. The coronation cost £100 million of tax-payer funds, and many across the country have been outraged that public funds are being spent on such pomp and circumstance during a cost of living crisis.

We also discuss the recent killing of Jordan Neely, 30-year-old homeless man who was choked to death by ex-marine Daniel Penny. We explore the real fear many New Yorkers feel on the subway, and how the right-wing is using this vigilante murder to justify violence against the poor.

To talk about this and more, we are joined by Natalia Marques, writer at Peoples Dispatch

The CIA and the 1990 Cuautitlán attack on Ford workers

In this episode, we highlight the struggle of the workers at the Ford Cuautitlán Assembly Plant, just outside Mexico City. On January 8, 1990, workers at the plant were attacked by police and private hired thugs wearing Ford jackets. This happened during a prolonged period of labor action by the workers, and kicked off an occupation of the plant. This attack didn’t happen in a vacuum and the CIA played a role in squashing labor at the plant.

 

We’re joined by Rob McKenzie, former President of United Auto Workers (UAW) 879 from 1998-2006 and the author of El Golpe: U.S. Labor, the CIA and the Coup at Ford in Mexico.

 

Read Rob’s article on the topic on CovertActionMagazine.com

Billionaires Won’t Save Free Speech: Elon Musk’s Fake Twitter Transparency

Earlier this month, Elon Musk released a portion of Twitter’s algorithm and has since asked netizens to pat him on the back for his contribution to bringing back the old “free speech” of the early days of the internet. As the controversy on Twitter surrounding blue checks being given to dead celebrities, Musk continues to portray himself as disrupting the social media market by being a true advocate for real journalism. The hypocrisy of that is glaring. We discuss what free speech on the internet means, and what role, if any, Musk has in bringing it about.

What do the Pentagon leaks really reveal? With John Kiriakou

The Washington Post has published that it has reviewed over 300 leaked documents posted online allegedly from the CIA and other intelligence agencies. The documents' presence online prompted an investigation that led to the arrest on Thursday of a 21-year-old Air National guardsman, Jack Teixeira.

This leak of Pentagon documents has given us a glimpse of how the US government and some of its allies are viewing the current status of the US & NATO proxy war in Ukraine. Reports continue to come out claiming that some of the documents are Russian disinformation, but the Pentagon has confirmed the authenticity of some of the documents. Whether they’re fully authentic or not, the establishment has seized on the Pentagon leaks in order to push for more war.

Whistleblower John Kiriakou joins us for this episode.

The Racist Attack on Democracy in Tennessee

The expulsion of two Black elected Representatives from Tennessee’s state government continues a long, racist tradition of the removal of Black people in political power in the United States. From the founding of the country through the Reconstruction era and to the modern day,  white supremacy and capitalism have used every weapon at their disposal to disenfranchise Black voters and legislators.

Also being ignored in media conversation around Tennessee is the reason behind the expulsion: that Representatives Jones, Pearson and Johnson were part of a march of 7,000 young people after the shooting at The Covenant School.

We discuss ongoing attacks on basic democratic rights like voting, building movements and more with political strategist Anoa Changa.

The Occupation Has One Face: Palestinian Reaction to Israeli Protests

Mass protests in Israel broke out after Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu fired his Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant. Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated against Netanyahu’s planned judicial reform - really, a legislative coup. But nowhere in the media coverage was any discussion of how the protests or the judicial reform itself would impact the Palestinian people who continue to live under Israeli occupation and terror.

At the same time, Zionists have attacked Al Aqsa mosque and other holy sites during Ramadan.

To bring out this important perspective, we spoke with Wafa Aludaini, a Gaza-based journalist and activist.