0:08 – The US escalation on Iran and the killing of a commander happened through a targeted airstrike near the Baghdad airport, in Iraq. Days later, the Iraqi Parliament voted to expel US troops from Iraq, and to “end the presence of any foreign troops on Iraqi soil.” That means both US and Iran, and it may signify a growing anti-imperialist movement.
Raed Jarrar is an Iraqi-born human rights activist and writer based in Washington, D.C. His most recent piece in Truthout is titled “Iraq’s Vote to Kick Out U.S. Troops Reflects Growing Anti-Imperialist Movement.“
0:34 – Kayla Moore was killed by Berkeley Police in 2013. The officers were never charged, and the family sued. In 2018, a judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to prove discrimination. But now Moore family is headed back to court of appeals on Jan 9 for oral arguments. The family wants the City of Berkeley to overhaul it’s mental health response policies, and provide care instead of police.
Maria Moore is the sister of Kayla Moore, who was killed by Berkeley Police in 2013, and a mental health reform advocate.
Adante Pointer is an attorney with John Burris Law, and legal council for the Moore family.
1:08 – Shortly after President Trump ordered the targeted assassination of an Iranian commander via an airstrike outside the airport in Baghdad Iraq, escalating major tensions with Iran, the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Patrol began detaining and questioning Iranians and Iranian-Americans at the border. Some were held and questioned for hours. The agency has denied the reports. But advocacy groups have activated legal support and are loudly denouncing the detentions and violation of civil rights.
Zahra Billoo is an attorney and the Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, San Francisco Bay Area Chapter (CAIR-SFBA).
1:34 – Series Premiere: Unmasking America
Shaun Assaels is a New York Times best-selling author, magazine writer and investigative journalist, as well as a sometime television correspondent. He can be seen in a documentary based on his latest book, The Murder of Sonny Liston, now on Showtime. His latest piece in Politico is The Massacre That Spawned the Alt-Right.