Unauthorized Disclosure

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola discuss John Bolton becoming President Donald Trump's national security adviser, the fifteenth anniversary of the Iraq War, and the vote on not taking a vote on withdrawing U.S. military support for Saudi Arabia's war on Yemen. Khalek and Gosztola also highlight some comments from patrons who support the show and talk about plans for future patron-exclusive episodes. ***This is a preview. For the full episode, go to and become a Patron of Unauthorized Disclosure.***

In part two of our episode with journalist Ben Norton, we discuss Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman's visit to the United Kingdom and ongoing war in Yemen. Norton addresses the significance a move by a few U.S. senators to withdraw U.S. military support for the Saudi-led war. Later in the show, Norton talks about Senator Chuck Schumer and Democrats, who spoke at the Israel lobby's conference. The show concludes with discussion of South Korea's success at possibly setting up peace talks between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump. (*TECHNICAL NOTE: There is a bit of an audio issue in isolated parts of this episode. It is due to a microphone problem, and we apologize for how it may distract from the content of the interview. It should not occur in future episodes.)

Writer Alexander Reid Ross produced an article for the Southern Poverty Law Center's blog, "Hatewatch," that was headlined, "The multipolar spin: how fascists operationalize left-wing resentment." It mentioned Rania Khalek, Ben Norton, and journalist Max Blumenthal, who has been a guest on this show multiple times. The article, which equates left-wing antiwar and anti-imperialist journalism and commentary with fascism, was taken down from SPLC's site with little to no explanation. Journalist Ben Norton, a producer and reporter at The Real News, joined the show in this first part of our two-part episode to talk about the attacks on Rania, Max, and him, which have escalated in the past week. Norton and Khalek dig into the origins of vitriol against journalists whose work counters support for the international war on Syria. Later in Part 1, Norton and Khalek address socialist factions in the United States and their positions on Syria and what animates their politics. Both pivot to the Middle East to examine left-wing factions and sectarian politics, where similar attacks are deployed. (*Technical Note: There is an echo in five or six points in the first part. It never lasts for more than a few seconds, but that stems from a microphone issue. We apologize for how it may distract from the content of the interview.)

Host Kevin Gosztola interviews whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg about his recent book, "Doomsday Machine: Confessions Of a Nuclear War Planner." Ellsberg, who is most known for leaking the Pentagon Papers, worked as a consultant for the Defense Department, and he even drafted a set of nuclear war plans for Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in the early 1960s. His book recounts his journey as he discovered how close a nuclear strike by the United States government or a war between the U.S. and Soviet government could bring the Earth's population to near-extinction. In the interview, Ellsberg highlights how he came to learn the military's estimate for how many hundreds of millions of people would die if a nuclear attack was launched. He describes how there was no way to call back pilots if an execute order was given. He shares how his father refused to be part of the production of the H-bomb and talks about how he had classified documents on nuclear matters, which he planned to release until they were tragically lost.

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola address a Daily Beast piece claiming to "expose" the Russian-funded Redfish, a grassroots media project where Khalek briefly worked. Khalek talks about the sheer disingenuousness nature of this attack.  Later in the show, Khalek and Gosztola discuss recent airstrikes by the United States against pro-government forces in Syria and how the U.S. media went along with the idea that this was "self-defense." They also talk about President Donald Trump's desire to hold a gaudy and lavish military parade, as well as another news story about alleged Russian interference in the 2016 Election.

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola pay tribute to investigative journalist Robert Parry, who founded Consortium News and died recently.  They also address President Donald Trump's plans to develop more nuclear weapons and the latest developments in NSA whistleblower Reality Winner's case. And with great distress, they talk about Devin Nunes' goddamn stupid fucking memo — because they suppose they had no choice but to mention it.

In the season 5 premiere of "Unauthorized Disclosure," hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola interview Mickey Huff, who is the director of Project Censored. He is co-host of "The Project Censored Show" and works on an annual book that includes the Top 25 Censored Stories each year. Huff describes the work of Project Censored for those unfamiliar the effort. He discusses the issue of Facebook, Google, and these massive conglomerates that control technology we depend on to get news and information. He addresses the prevalent issue of "fake news" but notes it has existed for decades as propaganda. We dive deeper into how the media continues to move the goalposts in its allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election and why it has such a stranglehold over political discussions. Later in the show, Khalek and Gosztola highlight two examples of from the 2016-2017 book that was released last year.

Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola bid farewell to 2017 in the season's finale. During the show, the hosts talk about Donald Trump's foreign policy and what liberal imperialists and neoconservatives disliked about Trump's first year. We celebrate what parts of Trump's agenda grassroots resistance was able to stall while addressing where opposition really faces an intense struggle. At one point in the show, Rania takes a true-false quiz based on the Trump administration's environmental policy. Happy New Year!

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola discuss President Donald Trump and his administration's plans to move the United States Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. They also comment on the tax bill and react to Senator Al Franken's resignation over sexual harassment allegations. Khalek, who is involved in a new project called Redfish, is currently based in Berlin. She talks about what she is working on for the project and the culture shock she is experiencing as she adjusts to Germany. Finally, the show's hosts raise the issue of Patreon's changes, which will shift the fees creators were paying to patrons. It is outrageous, and they mention a way patrons will be able to support the show without going through Patreon.

Cindy Milstein, the editor of Rebellious Mourning: The Collective Work Of Grief, joins the show for an interview on why we should not bury or make private our pain when we are grieving from death or loss as a result of injustice or systemic oppression. She talks about creating space for open grieving, as well as the authoritarian manners in which many citizens are expected to grieve. Milstein contends that grief can open cracks in the walls of the system and create possibilities for contestation and reconstruction, intervulnerability and strength, empathy and solidarity." It is the first in a series of interviews from contributors to the collection of essays available from .