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RadioWHO Ep. 8: Danny Schechter the News Dissector R.I.P.
by Jeff Schechtman
Pioneering author, filmmaker and media reform activist Danny Schechter saw the dystopian future of the corporate media long before it became a reality. RadioWHO host Jeff Schechtman spoke with “the News Dissector,” who died last week at the age of 72, in 1998. It will surprise you just how much of that conversation is still relevant. Here’s a tribute to a friend of WhoWhatWhy—and the truth.
WHO
Israel Spied on Iran Talks
Things are not looking up for Bibi. The Wall Street Journal just dropped a bombshell onto his plans for a denouement between his next government and the White House. It looks like Israel surreptitiously gathered info from the Iran nuclear talks in an effort to turn those ill-gotten gains into torpedoes intended to sink a deal with Iran. Even worse, Israel used the info to gin up support in Congress to cut off Obama’s plan to halt Iran’s nuclear program. Boehner is “baffled,” the Israelis deny everything and Bibi’s post-election charm offensive is going down in flames … both here and amongst the Israeli Arabs he offended during the final days of his campaign.
Taliban Leaders Are Living in Luxury in Qatar
Irony Alert! Former World Bank official and current President Ashraf Ghani came to the U.S. to plead for America to stay in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Taliban officials mounting their own diplomatic effort aimed at the U.S. are living the high life in one of the Muslim world’s richest nations. Qatar is also home to the “Guantanamo Five”—the Taliban detainees released in a prisoner exchange for Bowe Bergdahl. Talk about reversal of fortune … now they are part of a growing and well-cared-for Taliban presence in the tony emirate.
Ukraine’s Former Ruling Party Hit by Spate of Apparent Suicides
Whenever you see “spate” and “apparent suicides” in the same headline, there is a pretty good chance there’s something fishy going on. To wit, four top members of the Party of Regions have died within several weeks. The party had been led by now-deposed president Viktor Yanukovych, but he fled after the so-called Maidan revolution. All of the officials were under criminal investigation.
WHAT
New DOJ Report Shows Philly Cops Are Really Unclear About When It’s OK to Shoot People
If you are looking for more evidence that American policing is mired in a deep crisis, look no further than a new Department of Justice report on the homicidal tendencies of Philadelphia’s cops. They shoot and kill people at six times the rate of New York’s cops. Apparently, these two bizarre, conflicting flow charts designed to “help” them figure out when it’s appropriate to kill a suspect didn’t help them … or the targets of nearly 400 deadly force incidents between 2007 and 2013.
WHY
Brain Tumor Cells Decimated by Mitochondrial ‘Smart Bomb’
Scientists at Houston Methodist Hospital trumpeted an experimental drug that attacks brain tumor tissue by crippling the cells’ energy source. The drug—MP-MUS—has low toxicity until it enters the target cell and does its crippling damage. The breakthrough was announced after MP-MUS passed early tests in animal models and human tissue cultures.
The 10 Happiest Countries Are All in Latin America
Disneyland may be the “happiest place on earth”—for a day or, if you can afford a three-day pass, over a long weekend. But Paraguay is the place to be if you want to live a truly happy life. That’s according to a Gallup survey gauging happiness around the world. The U.S. came in 15th, trailing 10 of its neighbors to the south. Obviously, Americans are not quite living la vida feliz … or la vida loca.
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