Season II Finale: Another Ferguson Shooting & Failures of the Democratic Party

Staff Writer, DB Holmes

News / Government
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Season II Finale: Another Ferguson Shooting & 

Failures of the Democratic Party

In this episode of Breaking the Set, Abby Martin comments on yet another shooting in Ferguson, MO, involving a local resident who was shot in the head by an unknown person, yet after police confiscated the bullet there has been no follow-up or investigation into who shot her. Abby then reports on the latest violence in Gaza, and speaks with Seattle city council member Kshama Sawant about her letter to the Obama administration denouncing Israel’s ongoing siege and blockade of Gaza. BTS wraps up the show - an interview with author and journalist Nafeez Ahmed, discussing his four-part investigation into the Pentagon’s mass social science project called The Minerva Research Initiative, as well as his latest book ‘Zero Point’.

Source: Breaking the Set

Stopping Ebola, Big Ag’s Right to Farm & Institutionalize Corporate Greed

Staff Writer, DB Holmes

News / Government
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Stopping Ebola, Big Ag’s Right to Farm & Institutionalize Corporate Greed

In this episode of Breaking the Set, Abby Martin talks about the growing Ebola outbreak; why world governments need to step up efforts to combat contagion, and where you can go to help those infected in West Africa. Abby also reports on the right wing think tank ALEC’s and their efforts to squash the rights of individuals under so-called “Right to Farm” laws, which make it nearly impossible to challenge factory farms over the mistreatment of animals or mass pollution; also highlighting efforts by Missouri voters to amend their constitution against this law in their state. Abby then goes over the case of Arthur Demoulas, the former CEO of a grocery store chain, whose philosophy includes putting employees over profits. There is discussion with RT’s Lori Harifinest about the conditions of Demoulas’ termination from the company and how it relates to institutionalized corporate greed. Abby wraps up by doing an interview with UK politician George Galloway, discussing the violence in Gaza and the latest air strikes the US military has launched against Islamic militants in Iraq.

Source: Breaking the Set

US Loses 40% of Guns in Afghanistan, Decriminalizing Piracy & Why Weed isn’t Legal

Staff Writer, DB Holmes

Government / News 
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US Loses 40% of Guns in Afghanistan, 

Decriminalizing Piracy & Why Weed isn’t Legal

Abby Martin on a recent report by the US Inspector General for Afghanistan, highlighting how the Pentagon has lost track of more than 40 percent of guns delivered to Afghan security forces. A recent UK agreement that reduces the likelihood of individuals being sued by entertainment companies for file sharing. RT’s Sam Sacks discusses the shift in state policy on marijuana use, citing a report by journalist Lee Fang that outlines why marijuana is such a threat to the bottom line of American pharmaceutical companies. Abby then breaks through the propaganda rhetoric of ‘Human Shields’, calling out instances such as the second Iraq War and the current conflict in Gaza. Finally, BTS’s Manuel Rapalo remarks on the 100th anniversary of the start of WWI and a few of the most outrageous pretexts for war in modern history.

Source: Breaking the Set

New Earthly Species, Crashing Koch Party & Big Tobacco’s E-Cig Takeover

Staff Writer, DB Holmes

News / Government
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New Earthly Species, Crashing Koch Party & Big Tobacco’s E-Cig Takeover

Abby Martin on the discovery of 367 new species in Southeast Asia and the importance of calling attention to these finds. The US Supreme Court ruling that police officers need a warrant to search your phone, and the federal court judge saying the ‘No-Fly List’ is unconstitutional in its current form. Lauren Windsor, executive producer of ‘The Undercurrent’, talks about her exposé on the efforts of right-wing billionaires the Koch brothers to influence government on massive financial deregulation in the US. Finally, John Stewart, director of the ‘Challenge Big Tobacco Campaign’ at Corporate Accountability International, about how cigarettes today have become even more addictive than 50 years ago.

Source: Breaking the Set 

Goldman Sachs, Power of NY Graffiti & Tesla’s Electric Car Patent Revolution

Staff Writer, DB Holmes

News / Government

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Goldman Sachs, Power of NY Graffiti & Tesla’s Electric Car Patent Revolution

Abby Martin calls out Goldman Sachs CEO, Lloyd Blankfein for his comments on income inequality in America, acknowledging there is a problem but ignoring that he’s a part of it. Abby then goes over a few of the most outrageous CIA operations around the world, such as the agency’s efforts to destabilized Latin America through a series of coups and assassinations and even an attempted character assassination through a CIA producer porno film. Abby then speaks with photographer and author, Yoav Litvin, discussing his work documenting 46 different street artists in his book ‘Outdoor Gallery’. Abby then reports on the announcement by Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, who has released the patents over the company’s electric vehicle technology, discussing the importance of sharing patent information on innovations that move humanity forward. BTS wraps up the show with an interview with Hip Hop Artist Vance ‘Head Roc’ Levy, performing the song ‘The Super Bad III Solution’.

Source: Breaking the Set

​Al-Qaeda on Steroids Takes Iraq, Chiquita’s Terrorist Ties & Teen Confronts Pelosi

Staff Writer, DB Holmes

News / Government
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Al-Qaeda on Steroids Takes Iraq, Chiquita’s Terrorist Ties 

& Teen Confronts Pelosi

Abby Martin on extremist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) seizing control of the Iraqi city of Mosul. Chiquita, the world’s largest banana producer, influencing US lawmakers to block a bill backed by 9/11 victims and family members. Journalist and filmmaker Andrew Demeter, 16 years old and making waves in the alternative media world. ‘Solar Roadways’ and the massive potential this technology holds. Finally, Bhaskar Sunkara, founding editor of the magazine Jacobin, goes over the last 20 years of Mexico’s Zapatista movement.

Source: Breaking the Set  

​BP’s Bird Massacre, Snowden’s 9/11 Comment Ignored, W.H. Fallout

Staff Writer, DB Holmes
News / Government
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​BP’s Bird Massacre, Snowden’s 9/11 Comment Ignored, W.H. Fallout

In this episode of Breaking the Set, Abby Martin remarks on two high level White House resignations, including Press Secretary Jay Carney for unspecified reasons, and the resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, who stepped down in disgrace following the revelations of criminal neglect within the department. Abby then reports on a study by the Marine Ecology Progress Series, which says that between 600 and 800 Thousand birds have died as a result of BP’s 2010 gulf oil spill. Abby then calls out corporate media anchors for their superficial analysis of Edward Snowden’s NBC interview, whilst avoiding any discussion on his comments related to how the expansion of the security state does nothing to thwart terrorism. Abby goes on to feature an interview with comedian Lee Camp, talking about the launch of his brand new show on RT ‘Redacted Tonight’, as well as a few of the more ridiculous news stories to hit the airwaves in recent days. BTS wraps up the show with a performance by folk music duo ‘The Chapin Sisters’ performing the songs ‘Palm Tree’ and ‘Let Me Go’, as well as an interview with Lily & Abigail Chapin joined by Kitama Cahill-Jackson, grandson of legendary folk singer Peter Seeger promoting the upcoming ‘Seegerfest’ to be hosted in New York City.

Source: Breaking the Set 

India’s Right Wing Takeover, Politicians Who Still Believe in WMDs & the End of the Cheetah

Staff Writer, DB Holmes

News / Government
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India’s Right Wing Takeover, Politicians Who Still Believe in WMDs 

& the End of the Cheetah

On this episode of Breaking the Set, Abby Martin talks about the Army’s review of Chelsea Manning’s request for gender reassignment surgery and the potential to transfer her from a military to civilian prison, where there are much more threats to her safety. Abby then features a report by BTS producer Cody Snell about the demonstrations that took place at the FCC to protest the recent ruling that erodes Net Neutrality, and speaks to Casey Rae, Director of Future of Music Coalition about what a post neutral internet would look like to independent artists and musicians. Abby then revisits the case OfIbragim Todashev, an associate of the Tsarnaev brothers, who was inexplicably executed by an FBI agent during a four hour interrogation, reporting the fact that the identity of the special agent has finally been revealed as a sociopathic ex-Oakland police officer who has a tarnished history of unlawful beatings and arrests. BTS wraps up the show talking to Keane Bhatt, journalist and activist about a recent open letter he and many prominent figures signed calling for the non-profit organization Human Rights Watch to close its revolving door with the U.S. government.

Source: Breaking the Set

Vermont Wins Against Monsanto, VA Corruption Killing Vets & NSA Sham Reform

Staff Writer, Nicole Meyer-Greene

News / Government
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Vermont Wins Against Monsanto, VA Corruption Killing Vets & NSA Sham Reform

Abby Martin talks about yet another drone strike in Yemen over the weekend that killed six people, while here in the US a domestic drone nearly collided with a plane in Tallahassee, Florida. Vermont lauded for its passage of a law that will label all GMO foods, despite conglomerates like Monsanto threatening nearly every state to consider such legislation with legal action. RT’s Sam Sacks talks about the USA Freedom Act, a bill that purports to reform the NSA’s bulk metadata collection. The Phoenix Veteran’s Affair system and a scheme by VA officials there to put medical claims on a secret list in order to improve their backlog statistics, which has now led to a congressional investigation. Finally, hip hop artist Brother Ali discusses everything from his trip to Mecca to his controversial lyrics that got him kicked off of a national music tour.

Source: Breaking the Set  

Nerd Prom’s Jokes Hit Too Close to Home, Rutgers Rejects Condi Rice & the TPP ‘Conspiracy’

Staff Writer, R. Patrick Chapman

News / Government
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Nerd Prom’s Jokes Hit Too Close to Home, Rutgers Rejects Condi Rice & the TPP ‘Conspiracy’

On this episode of “Breaking The Set” BTS Producer Manuel Rapalo discusses President Obama’s newest comments on the massive 12-country free trade deal known as the Trans Pacific Partnership, in which he lumped in critics of the secret trade negotiations with conspiracy theorists. Manny then speaks with Rutgers University professor Deepa Kumar about former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s decision to pull out as keynote speaker at the school’s commencement ceremony after faculty and students staged sit-ins and protests against her selection. Manny then talks about the White House Correspondent’s Dinner and why host Joel McHale’s most hard hitting jokes were not received well by establishment journalists, as well as how the event distracts from the fact that companies are divesting from private prisons, marking a positive development in the fight to shut down the five-billion-dollar-a-year industry. BTS wraps up the show with an interview with hip hop artist Talib Kweli about the Obama presidency, his activism and the state of modern hip hop.

Source: Breaking the Set 

USA Oligarchy, Cheating Soldiers Out of Education & Fight for Fifteen

Staff Writer, DL Mullan

News / Government
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USA Oligarchy, Cheating Soldiers Out of Education & Fight for Fifteen

Abby Martin remarks on a Princeton and Northwestern University study concluding that US national laws and regulations overwhelmingly align with the preference of the economic elite. The federal probe that exposes how Sallie Mae, America’s largest federal student loan service, cheated active duty members of the US Military by providing those loans at illegally high interest rates. An exclusive with hacker and notorious internet troll Andrew ‘Weev’ Auernheimer discussing the overturning of his prison sentence after being charged with conspiracy under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Seattle City Councilwoman Shama Sawant highlights the ‘Fight for Fifteen’ campaign, a national call to action to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour. Finally, RT’s Sam Sacks tells how Boeing and Hilary Clinton have had a very close and beneficial relationship, and why it will continue for years to come.

Source: Breaking the Set 

​Turkey’s False Flag Threat, Israel’s Contempt for Peace & The Future of the Mind

Staff Writer, DB Holmes

News / Government
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Turkey’s false flag threat, Israel’s contempt for peace & The future of the mind

On this episode of Breaking the Set, Abby Martin gives a shout out to David Frum, Bush’s ‘Axis of Evil’ Speech writer for watching the show and sharing it. Abby then talks about a leaked conversation between Turkish officials discussing a planned false flag operation to justify starting a war with Syria. Abby then speaks with Miko Peled, Author of ‘The General’s Son’ about the continuing construction of Israeli settlements, the broken promises releasing Palestinian prisoners and his view on why a two state solution will never lead to peace. BTS wraps up the show with an exclusive interview with theoretical physicist, Michio Kaku, about his latest book ‘The Future of the Mind’ discussing a the how realistic it would be to digitally upload memories and consciousness, and why we’re living in the ‘Golden Age’ of studying the human mind.

Source: Breaking the Set

Spy v Spy in Senate, Climate Change Terrorism, CIA Whistleblower Harassed in Prison

Staff Writer, DL Mullan

News / Government
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Spy v Spy in Senate, climate change terrorism, CIA whistleblower harassed in prison

Abby Martin remarks on the Senator Dianne Feinstein’s accusation that the CIA potentially violated the constitution when obstructing the Senate Intelligence Committee’s oversight of the agency. A recent op-ed by former CIA analyst John Kiriakou regarding the unjust nature of his prison sentence for blowing the whistle on Bush’s torture program. Tom Weiss, president of Climate Crisis Solutions, talks about the Pentagon’s statement that climate change will increase terrorism, as well as the Senate Democrat’s ‘all-nighter’ to raise awareness about the issue. Offshore tax havens for multinational corporations and the 1 percent – we cite the $21 trillion missing from the global economy and the lack of progress made to get that money back. Finally, the state of the Fukushima nuclear power plant three years after the massive earthquake and tsunami that led to the meltdown with Kevin Kamps, radioactive waste watchdog of BeyondNuclear.org, and Tim Judson, executive director at the Nuclear Information and Resource Center.

Source: Breaking the Set,

​Pine Ridge Reservation: The Sioux Speak

Staff Writer, DL Mullan

News / Sioux Nation
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Breaking the Set goes on the road to interview residents of the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Pine Ridge reservation Part I: Where despair meets hope

In this episode of Breaking the Set, Abby Martin talks about her trip to Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, home to the Oglala Sioux tribe, a subset of the Lakota people and the second poorest county in the US. She first explores the notion of democratic governance by indigenous people centuries before western colonization and how the idea applies to the Lakota Sioux today. Then she features a report from BTS producer, Cody Snell, about the tribe’s vote to legalize alcohol on the reservation in August and the implications prohibition has right now for both Pine Ridge and Whiteclay, Nebraska, a border town profiting immensely from the ban. Abby then remarks on the legacy of Leonard Peltier, a Lakota activist given two life sentences for the murder of two federal agents, despite the lack of evidence connecting him to the crime. BTS wraps up the show with an interview with Yvonne ‘Tiny’ DeCory, coordinator for the BEAR program, a self-sufficient organization that builds children’s self-confidence through workshop and theater in an effort to spread awareness and combat the sky-high suicide rate plaguing Pine Ridge’s youth.

Pine Ridge Reservation Part II: From broken treaties to future sustainability

In this episode of Breaking the Set, Abby Martin discusses the history of the Black Hills in South Dakota, the US government’s seizure of the land and subsequent offer of $1 Billion to the Sioux tribe, which they refuse to accept. Abby speaks with Floyd Looks for Buffalo Hand, Headsman of the Sioux Nation Treaty Council about Christianity’s role in the destruction of native culture and what the concept of treaty means to his people. BTS wraps up the show with an exclusive interview with Henry Red Cloud, the great-great grandson of Chief Red Cloud, the only Native American to ever defeat the US Army in a war. They talk about Henry’s efforts to bring renewable energy to Pine Ridge, and what his great-great grandfather would think of the reservation today.

Glitter terrorism, gender indoctrination, big pharma’s Christmas miracle

Staff Writer, DL Mullan
News / Government
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Glitter terrorism, gender indoctrination, big pharma’s Christmas miracle is another episode of Breaking the Set with Abby Martin. 

On this episode of Breaking the Set, Abby Martin remarks on the absurd news that two environmental activists in Oklahoma were charged with staging a terrorism hoax after unveiling two glitter-covered banners in protest of the Devon Energy oil company’s fracking practices. Abby then speaks with gender studies expert Dr. Jackson Katz, discussing the underlying forces of gender politics and the role of masculinity when it comes to violent crime. Abby then comments on a recent announcement by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline that the firm will no longer spend millions of dollars annually to pay doctors to promote their drugs. BTS wraps up the show with an interview with British MP George Galloway, discussing his upcoming film “The Killing of Tony Blair,” and his brand new show on RT, “Sputnik: Orbiting the world with George Galloway.”

2013 highlights and lowlights, rusted root breaks the stage & Carl Sagan’s pale blue dot

Staff Writer, DL Mullan
News / Music
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On the last day of Breaking the Set for this year, Abby Mattin covers: 2013 highlights and lowlights, rusted root breaks the stage & Carl Sagan’s pale blue dot.

Obama lied on Syria, corporate espionage tactics, GMO heroes & villains

Staff Writer, DL Mullan
News
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Breaking the Set with Abby Martin's episode: Obama lied on Syria, corporate espionage tactics, GMO heroes & villains.

Here's the synopsis:

Journalist Seymour Hersh’s findings over extremist group Al-Nusra Front’s capability of creating the poisonous gas sarin, and how the Obama administration cherry-picked information to more easily draw the US into military intervention. An article from New York Magazine that suggests the CIA’s connection to cocaine trafficking is a mere conspiracy theory; Abby recalls the CIA’s support for Nicaraguan rebel fighters during the Iran Contra scandal with ties to US cocaine trafficking. Manuel Rapalo talks about the five craziest tactics of corporate espionage, highlighting a recent report by the Center for Corporate Policy that outlines examples from recent decades. Abby then interviews 14-year-old Birke Baehr, a passionate public speaker who has launched a personal crusade to raise awareness about the dangers of GMOs and the influence of giant agro-companies. Finally, a look at Hawaii’s hero and villain on the spread of GMOs on the islands.