Full Program

Part 1

Part 2

Then we examine why the good news about the improving economy has not been covered in the press in contrast to the earlier flood of “the sky is falling” reports parroting propaganda from deficit hawks like the Wall Street billionaire Pete Peterson. Mark Blyth, a Professor of International Economy at Brown University and author of “Austerity: The History of a Dangerous Idea” joins us to discuss how America escaped the austerity trap that has mired the Eurozone, even thought the deficit hawks are still demanding we follow Europe’s disastrous path.

Part 3

Then finally we look into a new report from a year-long investigation by CNN, The Tampa Bay Times and the Center for Investigative Journalism into the 50 worst charities in the United State who took in a billion dollars last year and only spent 50 million on the needy. Kendall Taggert, a researcher and writer for the Center for Investigative Reporting joins us to discuss the report on America’s worst charities which is available at cironline.org and the scandalous fleecing of generous Americans who think they are donating to help dying children.

Full Program

Part 1

We begin with William Binney, an insider who served in the National Security Agency for 37 years rising to the rank of Technical Director of the World Geopolitical and Military Reporting Group at the NSA. We discuss the nature of the PRISM program that is the subject of the latest leak and how much the taxpayer is getting swindled by multibillion dollar secret programs that don’t work.

Part 2

Then we speak with world renowned media theorist and technology columnist Douglas Rushkoff, the author of “Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now”. We discuss his article at CNN “Edward Snowden is a Hero” and the extent to which most of what we say and text on cell phones or write on computers is being recorded and parsed by big data servers like Google and Facebook. We examine the difference between our willingness to give up all our data to corporate big brothers in contrast to our objection to the government doing the same thing.

Part 3

Then finally we speak with George Packer, a staff writer for The New Yorker and author of the new book “The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America”. We discuss his profiles of Americans living in the new Gilded Age in which the 99% are increasingly aware of the economic and social impoverishment affecting their lives, but find it difficult to see a way forward because the institutions and means by which people can organize and redress the growing disparity and injustice have been compromised and corrupted.