0:08 – On Monday, President Trump signed into law a $717 Billion Dollar National Defense Authorization Act. This is an annual and critical piece of legislation which authorizes the policies under which funding for the military will be set by Congressional appropriators. It not only includes a ton of hardware – and hundreds of billions of dollars for defense contractors – but also sets out some significant changes in U.S. foreign policy. William Hartung (@WilliamHartung) is the Director of the Arms and Security Project and the Center for International Policy, and joins us to discuss.
0:34 – On Wednesday, The Trump Administration held the largest offshore oil and gas drilling lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico in U.S. history. Companies including Exxonmobil used the sale to buy up new leases in ultra deep waters at great distances from the shore. All this, while regulation of offshore operations dwindles. Raleigh Hoke is Campaign Director with the Gulf Restoration Network (@HealthyGulf), which filed a lawsuit challenging the leases. Brettny Harding is a staff attorney with the Oceans Program with Earthjustice (@Earthjustice), representing the case.
1:08 – News headlines and analysis with Antonia and Brian, plus remembering Aretha Franklin.
1:18 – Naomi Hirahara (@gasagasagirl) is an award-winning writer of fiction and non-fiction, and formerly the editor of the largest Japanese-American daily newspaper, The Rafu Shimpo. Her latest book is Life After Manzanar “a nuanced account of the “Resettlement”: the relatively unexamined period when ordinary people of Japanese ancestry, having been unjustly imprisoned during World War II, were finally released from custody.”