EXCLUSIVE: Rigged Trials at Guantanamo
19 Feb 2008
The Nation magazine reveals the former chief prosecutor for the prison’s military commissions says the Pentagon has foreclosed the possibility of acquittals. We speak with Nation reporter Ross Tuttle and law professor Scott Horton. [includes rush transcript]

Headlines for February 20, 2008
19 Feb 2008
Obama Wins in Wisconsin and Hawaii, Supreme Court Refuses To Hear Domestic Spy Program, Ghana Refuses To Host AFRICOM, Explosion Kills 15 Iraqi Police Officers, Al-Sadr Threatens to Lift Ceasefire, 70 Firms Register to Compete For Iraq Oil Contracts, Price Of Oil Tops $100 Per Barrel, U.S. Refuses To Lift Cuban Embargo, U.S. Leaves Holes in Texas-Mexico Border Wall, Conn. Lawmaker Becomes First Black GLBT State Legislator, George Polk Award Winners Named, Ex- Defense Contractor Brent Wilkes Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison, U.S. Banks Borrow $50 Billion From Federal Reserve

Kosovo’s Independence: Genuine Liberation or Front for US-NATO Expansion?
18 Feb 2008
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on Monday. The move was welcomed by the United States, Turkey and some European Union countries Monday, even as it was sharply condemned by Serbia, Russia, China and Spain. While supporters have welcomed the decree as an act of liberation, critics call the move a front for advancing US-NATO aims. We host a debate between George Szamuely, a New York-based writer and longtime commentator on the Balkans, and Isa Blumi, professor of Middle East and Balkan history and a former member of the Kosovar provisional government. [includes rush transcript]

Outspoken Niece of Benazir Bhutto Accuses Aunt’s Party of Fraud in Pakistani Elections
18 Feb 2008
In Pakistan, voters have handed President General Pervez Musharraf?s ruling party an overwhelming defeat in the country?s parliamentary elections. We go to Pakistan to speak to columnist Fatima Bhutto, the niece of slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. Fatima has been critical both of Bhutto’s party, which she says committed fraud in Monday’s vote, and of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

Democratic Race Heats Up as Wisconsin Holds Deadlocked Primary
18 Feb 2008
John Nichols of The Nation magazine joins us from Wisconsin where voters go to polls today in possibly the tightest contest in the Democratic race since Super Tuesday. Sen. Hillary Clinton is hoping to end Sen. Barack Obama’s string of eight straight victories over the past two weeks.

Fidel Castro Resigns as Cuban President
18 Feb 2008
Fidel Casto announced today he is resigning as Cuban President, ending 49 years in office. In a statement, the 81-year-old Castro wrote: “It would betray my conscience to take up a responsibility that requires mobility and total devotion, that I am not in a physical condition to offer.” We speak to Peter Kornblu, director of the Cuba Documentation Project at the National Security Archive.

Headlines for February 19, 2008
18 Feb 2008
Castro Steps Down as Cuban Leader, Musharraf?s Party Loses Seats in Pakistani Elections, U.S. Recognizes Independent Kosovo, 36 Die in Afghan Suicide Bombing, Bush: No Link Between Economy, Iraq War, ?Dossier? Author: Britain Was ?Wrong? on Iraq, U.S. to Keep AFRICOM in Germany, St. Paul Orders Taser Weapons Ahead of RNC, U.S. Court Shuts Down Whistleblower Site, Wisconsin, Hawaii Hold Primaries

Seton Hall Law Students Discover U.S. Military Routinely Videotaping Gitmo Interrogations
17 Feb 2008
A report by twenty-seven students and graduate research fellows from the New Jersey-based Seton Hall University School of Law reveals that the US government routinely videotaped the 24,000 interrogations conducted in Guantanamo Bay between 2002 and 2005. The Pentagon denies the charges. We speak to two of the report’s co-authors. [includes rush transcript]

In Africa, Bush Touts Record AIDS Relief under his Administration, but Funding Restrictions Tell a Different Story on the Ground
17 Feb 2008
The centerpiece of President Bush?s visit to Africa is his HIV/AIDS policy known as PEPFAR, or the President?s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Many have criticized the legislation?s emphasis on abstinence and the restrictions it places on programs that incorporate family planning or are directed at sex workers. We speak to David Bryden of Global AIDS Alliance and Laurie Wen, a Rwanda-based Harvard academic researching the impact of US HIV/AIDS policies. [includes rush transcript]

Analyst: On Africa Visit, Bush Pushes Agenda of Continent-Wide U.S. Military Expansion
17 Feb 2008
President Bush is back in Africa on five-country tour for the second and presumably final time during his presidency. Many anticipate that the President?s visit is an opportunity to shore up support among African allies for America?s strategic and economic interests, including expansion of the U.S. military command in Africa, AFRICOM. We speak to veteran Africa analyst Horace Campbell, professor of political science and African American studies at Syracuse University. [includes rush transcript]

In Tight Democratic Race, Could Campaign Donations and Personal Views Influence Potentially Decisive Superdelegate Vote?
17 Feb 2008
With neither Democratic presidential candidate expected to win the 2,025 delegates needed to clinch the nomination, it?s all coming down to superdelegates, the nearly 800 former elected officeholders and party officials who are technically free to choose who they like. While Obama leads in the overall delegate count and among pledged delegates, Clinton has more superdelegate support. About 300 of the 795 superdelegates have yet to take sides. And both campaigns are in a heated battle to win their support. In fact, many of the superdelegates have already been plied with campaign contributions by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, according to a new study by the Center for Responsive Politics. [includes rush transcript]

Headlines for February 18, 2008
17 Feb 2008
Surveillance Law Expires As House Dems Defy Bush, U.S. Issues Record Beef Recall, 100 Killed in Worst Afghan Suicide Bombing Since U.S. Invasion, Kosovo Declares Independence from Serbia, Long Delay on Vehicles Led to Deaths, Injuries of Hundreds of Marines, Pakistan Holds Parliamentary Vote, Olmert Israel Can ?Attack Everyone?, UN Humanitarian Chief: End to Gaza Blockade, Chavez: Venezuela Won?t Cut Oil Exports Unless U.S. Attacks, Scientists: Gov. Suppressing Report on Toxicity in Great Lakes Region, CIA Shuts Down 10 Fake Companies Intended for Spying, FBI Mistakenly Accessed E-mail Accounts Based on Single Warrant, Sunni Militia Ends Cooperation with U.S. over Civilian Deaths

SEIU Members Face Off in Dispute Over Leadership, Direction of One of Nation’s Largest Unions
14 Feb 2008
A major battle brewing is within the Service Employees International Union, one of the country’s largest unions with 1.9 million members. Last week, executive committee member Sal Roselli resigned in a blistering letter accusing union President Andy Stern of expanding his powers at members’ expense. We host a debate between Roselli and another executive board member, Dave Regan.

On Tenth Anniversary of V-Day, Vagina Monologues Playwright Eve Ensler Focuses on Violence Against Women in New Orleans and Gulf South
14 Feb 2008
Playwright and activist Eve Ensler discusses the ten-year anniversary of the first benefit performance of her award-winning play, The Vagina Monologues, to spread awareness about violence against women and girls. Every year, “V-Day” has focused on women’s struggles from a different part of the world. This year the focus is on the women of the Gulf South, with a major event planned in New Orleans on April 11th and 12th. [includes rush transcript]

East Timor Braces for Potential Crisis Following Assassination Attempt on President Jose Ramos-Horta
14 Feb 2008
Timorese U.S. envoy Constancio Pinto and veteran journalist Allan Nairn join us to talk about the latest crisis in East Timor. President Jose Ramos-Horta is recovering from gunshot wounds following an attempt on his life. The situation on the ground has remained calm but East Timor’s compex internal conflicts remain unresolved, opening the door to future turmoil.

Headlines for February 15, 2008
14 Feb 2008
Defying Bush, House Dems Let Surveillance Law Expire, White House Aides Cited for Contempt of Congress, 7 Dead, 15 Wounded in Illinois School Shooting, Obama Gets Union Backing, Clinton Declared Winner of New Mexico Caucus, Romney Endorses Ex-Rival McCain in GOP Race, Pentagon to Shoot Down Spy Satellite, Iranian President to Visit Iraq, Hezbollah Leader Threatens ?Open War? on Israel, Venezuelan Minister: ExxonMobil Practicing ?Judicial Terrorism?, Bolivia Accepts U.S. Explanation on Spy Incident, Study: Human Activity Affecting Oceans Worldwide

Activists Call for Boycott of Diamond Giant Leviev for Support of Israeli Settlements and Links to Human Rights Abuses in Africa
13 Feb 2008
Leviev, the world?s largest cutter and polisher of diamonds, has been linked to expanding Jewish-only settlements in the Palestinian West Bank and a sketchy human rights record in Angola, where it controls the diamond supply. We speak to two Palestinian and Jewish members of Adalah-New York, a group that’s held weekly protests outside Leviev’s Madison Ave. store.

Theo Chocolate Founder, CEO Joe Whinney on Fair Trade Cocoa
13 Feb 2008
We speak to Joe Whinney, founder and CEO of Theo Chocolate, which describes itself as the only roaster of organic cocoa beans and the first roaster of Fair Trade certified cocoa beans in the United States. [includes rush transcript]

“Chocolate’s Bittersweet Economy”: Cocoa Industry Accused of Greed, Neglect for Labor Practices in Ivory Coast
13 Feb 2008
On Valentine’s Day, we look into two of the luxury industries that have come to expect huge profits on this hyper-consumerized occasion. We begin with chocolate. A scathing new report by veteran journalist and author Christian Parenti says hardly any progress has been made in the cocoa industry’s pledges to address child labor. We host a debate between Parenti and William Guyton, president of the World Cocoa Foundation. [includes rush transcript]

Entertainment Writers Claim Victory in Deal Ending 14-Week Strike
13 Feb 2008
Entertainment industry writers are back on the job after overwhelmingly approving a deal that will eventually give them a percentage of revenue for work posted online. We speak to Michael Winship, president of Writers Guild of America, East. [includes rush transcript]

Headlines for February 14, 2008
13 Feb 2008
Senate Approves Waterboarding Ban, House Rejects Extending Surveillance Law, Boeing Rendition Suit Dismissed in U.S. Court, Iraq Approves Amnesty Law, Venezuelans Protest ExxonMobil on Asset Freeze, U.S. Labor Delegation Lobbies Colombia on Union Killings, Bolivia: Spy-Linked U.S. Embassy Official Won?t Return, Timorese President Recovers Amidst Reconciliation Calls, Following Historic Apology, Australia?s Aborigines Call for Indigenous Panel, Heath Risks to Displace 100,000 Katrina Evacuees from Government Trailers, Attorney: Charge Officers for Throwing Quadriplegic from Wheelchair, ?92 Clinton Campaign Manager Endorses Obama

In Defense of Food: Author, Journalist Michael Pollan on Nutrition, Food Science and the American Diet
12 Feb 2008
Acclaimed author and journalist Michael Pollan argues that what most Americans are consuming today is not food but “edible food-like substances.” His previous book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, was named one of the ten best books of 2006 by the New York Times and the Washington Post. His latest book, just published, is called In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto. [includes rush transcript]

Antiwar Candidate Donna Edwards Defeats Incumbent Rep. Albert Wynn in Key Maryland Primary
12 Feb 2008
Antiwar Democrat Donna Edwards joins us to talk about her defeat of eight-term Congress member Albert Wynn in Tuesday’s primary vote. The Maryland race had been described as “a bellwether contest in the fight for the soul of the Democratic Party.” If Edwards wins in November, she’ll be the first African American woman elected to Congress from Maryland. [includes rush transcript]

Headlines for February 13, 2008
12 Feb 2008
Senate Backs Expanding Government Spying, Immunizing Telecoms, Obama, McCain Sweep Potomac Primary, 9/11 Charges Renew Fears of Gitmo Executions, Panel Warns U.S. Lagging on Nuke Oversight, Putin Threatens Ukraine Over NATO, U.S. Missile Shield, U.S. Rejects Space Weapons Ban, 18 Rebel Soldiers Sought for East Timor Assassination Attempt, Australia Issues Formal Apology for Treatment of Aborigines, Hezbollah Military Leader Killed in Syria Bombing, Red Cross Warns of Afghan Refugee Crisis, Sadr Group: Deal Reached to Free CBS News Journalists, Ex-Contractor: 38 Women Suffering Abuses in Iraq Unable to Go Public, Press Charges, Palestinians Criticize Latest Israeli Settlement Expansion, U.S.-Trained Filipino Officers Suspended for Alleged Killings, Following Record Loss, GM Seeks to Cut Workforce, Outcry Forces Blue Cross to Abandon Letters, Writers Return to Work After Approving Strike Deal, Florida Police Suspended for Throwing Quadriplegic out of Wheelchair, Iraqi Journalist Slain in Baghdad

Torture, Due Process Concerns Mar Capital Case Against Alleged 9/11 Conspirators
11 Feb 2008
The Pentagon is seeking the death penalty for six prisoners at Guantanamo Bay for their alleged involvement in the 9/11 attacks. But questions are being raised about evidence obtained through torture and the legitimacy of the military commissions used to try the suspects. We speak to Vincent Warren, Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights, which represents hundreds of Guantanamo prisoners including one of the accused.