Unanimous Dissent

The Two Sams come to terms with the General Election. Better the devil you know than the slightly more fascist devil you don’t. We discuss.And, despite support for the TPP waning in Congress and on the campaign trail, the Obama administration is still pushing for the sweeping trade deal. We’ll break down the US Trade Representative's latest appeals.And later cops are also using Pokemon Go to catch them all...criminals that is. Find out more on the latest honey trap by police to catch people with outstanding warrants.

The Democrats wrapped up their convention in Philadelphia, and they ended things by making a naked appeal to the center. We discuss the wretched cast of characters that the DNC featured for this play.Also, Sam Knight chats with journalist Abby Martin, who was in Philly and arrested trying to cover a protest. And later, we give a shout out to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for cracking down on debt collectors. And since it’s Friday, we throw someone in the dang garbage can--a special DNC tweets-themed edition.

While the #DNCleak is still being investigated, Trump gave the pundits a gift on a silver platter, when he asked Russia to hack Hillary Clinton. We sift through the mess.And picking up on our coverage of the DNC in Philadelphia, we hear from journalist Emmett Rensin about just how divided the convention hall is, and demonstrations from Bernie Sanders supporters outside. Also later, a federal court rules that it’s cool with the FBI placing bugs outside courthouses, but could that implicate attorney-client privileges in the US. Also, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe said something stupid, and the Clinton campaign is trying to put out the flames.

The #DNCleak continues to raise questions about improper behavior at the DNC. The latest focus is on how DNC staffers stonewalled reporters who were trying to uncover if the committee and the Clinton campaign were flouting campaign finance laws.Also, the Democratic Convention in Philly has been described as a logistical nightmare. We talk to Felix Biederman from Chapo Trap House about what it’s like on the ground in the city of Brotherly Love. He also discusses the “birth” of his child, Carl Diggler--”Love that boy.”Then, the Two Sams discuss how Brexit has impacted President Obama’s trade agenda, and an impending fine for Goldman Sachs. Plus, the EPA finally decides that airplane emissions count, too.

DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz is run out of the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia following more revelations from the Wikileaks email dump. Meanwhile, Clinton supporters want to focus less on the emails, and more on potential foreign influence in US elections.And, The DCist’s Rachel Kurzius is back to talk talk about Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who was chosen to be Hillary Clinton’s running mate. His spotty record on reproductive rights could leave some women worried. And finally, the Two Sams take a wider look at Wikileaks. The organization isn’t without fault, by any means, but the US government’s rough treatment of Wikileaks is awful. And it colors the reaction to DNCLeaks.

Just ahead of this week’s Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Wikileaks released a trove of internal DNC emails. The two Sams breakdown what’s in them: including plans to attack Bernie Sanders, Cozy relations with MSNBC, and close ties with lobbyists.And in the wake of and Donald Trump’s “Law and Order” convention, expect conservatives in Congress to get behind an effort to make attacks on cops a hate crime. Journalist Kenneth Lipp discusses.Also, some news that the political conventions have pushed to the back pages, including a potential Senate run for white supremacist David Duke and new statistics about how many undocumented immigrants in the US are still facing deportation.

We take a look back at the RNC. Special thanks to Ted Cruz for the laughs.And helping us recap everything that went down, we’re joined by a member of the Chapo Trap House podcast, Matt Christman. Matt spent the week in Cleveland and tells us all about itPlus, in the People’s Bulletin we examine recent trust-busting actions by President Obama. And since it’s Friday, the two Sams throw someone in the garbage can.

The GOP nominee who loves to fire people is reportedly compiling an enemies list, and considering asking Congress to pass legislation so that, should he win the White House, he’ll be able to fire government employees hired under President Obama a lot easier. Seems like Trump is channeling his inner Erdogan.And Robbie Martin stops in the studio to talk about his new movie: A Very Heavy Agenda, which documents the Neoconservative fall from grace--and their ploy to reclaim power with the help of the Democrats.Finally, the two Sams discuss the scourge of trolling (patent trolling) in a conversation that includes the word “teledildonics.”

The Republican Convention is underway. While the overt racism was expected, the Michelle Obama plagiarism wasn’t. We hack through it, and also discuss Donald Trump’s legally questionably campaign financing.Also, anti-fracking activists are just trying to save the planet by limiting how many fossil fuels are ripped out of the ground. So then why is the government conducting surveillance on them? Environmental Journalist Steve Horn is on to explain. And later, an extended classified session to talk about baseball and computer hacking, and a tin-foil hat plan to monitor a foreign news outlets for secret messages from Osama bin Laden.

Following the failed coup attempt in Turkey, the US is dealing with some thorny foreign policy questions. The two Sams examine one posited by journalist Glenn Greenwald: Can Turkey drones the man they allege was behind in the coup, Fethullah Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania?And, the DCist’s Rachel Kurzius is on the show to talk about domain-squatting and the 2016 election. Find out how you can get rich by purchasing political website addresses. Finally, the Two Sams hash through more of the reaction to the release of the 28 pages of the 9/11 Commission Report--on allegations of Saudi involvement in the attacks. Most of Washington wasn’t prepared for the Friday News Dump.

Following last week’s attack on Nice, France, the two Sam’s highlight some particularly awful comments made by Newt Gingrich, a guy once considered to be Donald Trump’s VP pick.Also, the ACLU’s Kade Crockford joins in to breakdown a crucial federal court ruling that could limit how police use cell phone surveillance technology.And later, author and activist David Swanson takes on the legality of President Obama’s war against the Islamic State, and what the American people have learned about 9/11 following the release of a classified annex from the official Congressional report on the attacks.

Trump is reportedly picking Mike Pence as his running mate--a decision that is not very Trump-esque. The two Sam’s try to break down what exactly the Donald is trying to accomplish with the pick.Also, Breitbart Political Correspondent Neil McCabe comes behind enemy lines to give us a preview of next week’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Then, the Obama administration said it would soon allow the release of the 28 Pages--the classified section of the 9/11 Commission Report that could raise questions about official Saudi involvement. We go into a Classified Session to explain.

Bernie Sanders supporters are finding their own ways of coping with seeing their candidate endorse Hillary Clinton. One group is planning to digest it all by eating a lot of beans and stinking up the convention. With Farts. Ugh.Then, the Two Sams add a third Sam to the mix. Sam Kriss, a UK-based freelance journalist joins us to talk about the post-Brexit dust settling. We chat about the new British PM, Theresa May, and Jeremy Corbyn’s future.And later, an extended classified session to talk about a brand new government surveillance program set to be “fully operational” at the end of the year, and a federal court ruling that could ground one of police’s favorite spy tools.

There is no joy in Bernie-ville, the mighty Sanders has endorsed Hillary Clinton. The two Sams break down the maneuvering that went into Tuesday’s unity rally for Democrats, and talk with writer and activist Jesse Myerson about where the Sanders revolution goes from here. Also, a new report from Congressional Republicans suggests that former Attorney General Eric Holder lied to Congress about why the DOJ didn’t prosecute a notorious mega-bank. It’s yet another story of elites getting off easy for their crimes.And finally, Senators are still beefing with the State Department over the release of the annual Trafficking in Persons report. We break down the latest on the situation in Malaysia.

It appears the police have learned nothing since Ferguson. In reaction to peaceful protests in response to the death of Alton Sterling over the weekend, Baton Rouge cops militarized and took over the streets like an occupying army. Why are lawmakers silent about the most recent show of excessive force? Then, we have a riveting discussion about--what else?--Pokemon Go. The game has swept the country by storm, and portends possible changes for the way we view public space and data security. Rachel Kurzius and Connor Southard join us for a Pokemon Master round table.And, the Obama administration announced the deployment of an additional 560 troops to Iraq. In a classified session, the two Sams examine increasing troop levels abroad and a dwindling Guantanamo population.

Americans witnessed acts of traumatic violence this week: two killings of innocent black men by police officers, caught on video, and the fatal mass shooting of Dallas cops, during a demonstration against police impunity. Global Grind's Brittany Lewis helps us try to put the events in context. Then, The Donald clashed with members of the #NeverTrump movement on Capitol Hill, and came out of the tussle looking incompetent as hell. We explain, and discuss the ongoing GOP power struggle. And we discuss why the Obama administration's new finalized rules on Arctic Drilling are getting something of a chilly reception from environmentalists.

James Comey’s testimony before the House Oversight Committee on the Hillary Clinton email scandal left us with more questions than answers. One thing is for sure, though: the Clinton Campaign should be worried. Then, Bernie Sanders called on the big banks to be broken up. Alexis Goldstein joins us to talk about how that process is, kind of, underway. We also chat about House Republicans’ efforts this week to stop recent regulations proposed to safeguard financial consumers.And later, we explain how Democrats are co-opting the GMO-labeling movement by supporting legislation that would hide GMO labeling behind complex digital codes. Oh, and at the end of the show, someone gets thrown in the garbage can.

The Department of Justice has opened a probe into the death of Alton Sterling, who was killed by police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana this week. The two Sams discuss how Congress could do a lot more to pass measures to crack down on trigger-happy cops. Also, The Intercept’s Lee Fang joined us to talk about 2016, and the many ways through which corporations try to get their way in Washington.And, Hillary Clinton released a plan on college debt that isn’t a total joke. We chat to progressive journalist Paul Blest about it. Plus, the latest on troop withdrawals in Afghanistan--or lack thereof.

The FBI has recommended that Hillary Clinton face no charges stemming from her use of a private email server during her tenure as Secretary of State. The two Sams explain why this decision won’t sit well with whistleblowers and others who’ve leaked classified information. The Obama administration approved of hundreds of offshore fracking permits in the Gulf of Mexico between 2010-2014, despite the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Truthout’s Mike Ludwig broke the story. He joined us to talk about the situation..And finally, there’s a lot of speculation about who Donald Trump might pick as his Vice Presidential nominee. In the Devil’s Advocate segment, the Sams explain why all the top candidates would make good choices, actually.

The State Department is seeking to delay the release of a batch of emails from Hillary Clinton’s tenure that could reveal a conflict of interest that benefited the Clinton Foundation. The two Sam’s run down the list of other records waiting to see the light of day before the upcoming general election.Also, details about National Security Letters just hit the public domain. We talked to Alison Macrina, Library Freedom Project Director and Tor Project member, to discuss the latest in surveillance news.And the White House is no longer returning the calls of a prominent former senator who wants a classified chapter of the 9/11 Commission Report made public.