2025 is promising to be a crucial year in the history of West Asia. Just weeks have passed since the ouster of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad and his replacement with pro-Western leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. Syria was a key member of the so-called “Axis of Resistance” – a coalition of actors opposing Israel and its actions. What will Assad’s departure mean for the resistance against Israel, especially given Jolani’s overt friendliness with Tel Aviv? Given their new government, what is in store for Le...
Jan 16, 2025•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast It is the album the Israel lobby tried – and failed – to kill. “Soundtrack to the Struggle 3” by MintPress News’ Lowkey is released today. It is the rapper’s first album in five years and is already receiving critical acclaim. Today on “The MintCast,” Mnar Adley sits down with Lowkey to discuss his new offering, the attempts to shut him down, and why good music is often political. A tireless fighter for justice, Lowkey’s tracks have become anthems in the anti-war movement, particularly in the st...
Oct 28, 2024•58 min•Ep 77•Transcript available on Metacast The United States is socially, politically and economically in crisis. As an increasingly large number of people are priced out of the economy, fewer and fewer buy into the sham of electoral politics. On the world stage, too, the U.S. is suffering. Countries everywhere are beginning to drop the dollar as the standard unit of exchange, and Washington’s prestige has been severely shaken due to its relentless, unequivocal support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Ben Norton joins MintCast host Mnar Ad...
Sep 25, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Transcript available on Metacast It sometimes feels like the world is on the brink of war. Israel has just escalated the conflict in the Middle East with a massive attack on Lebanon, implanting bombs in hundreds of pagers and other electronic devices, killing many and injuring thousands. Around the world, the action has been condemned as an act of terror. Today’s guest, Scott Ritter, unequivocally denounced the move. “This is something that is unjustifiable under any circumstances. There is no element of the law of war that wou...
Sep 19, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Transcript available on Metacast No matter how bad the attack on Palestine gets, Israel seems to find a way to make it worse. With a series of high-profile assassinations that threaten to spark a regional war, Israel has raised the stakes once again. On July 30, it targeted Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr in Beirut. One day later, it killed Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ lead ceasefire negotiator, while he was in Tehran. The killings sent shockwaves throughout the world, and both Hezbollah and Iran have vowed to respond, the former declari...
Aug 08, 2024•57 min•Ep 74•Transcript available on Metacast It is election season once again, and that means that the world’s eyes are drawn to our corrupt two-party duopoly. With a rapidly aging Biden decaying in front of us, Donald Trump is now a heavy favorite to become Commander-in-Chief of the US empire once more. Trump has chosen JD Vance as his running mate, a character made and financed by Silicon Valley and surveillance state billionaire Peter Thiel. It seems no matter whom you vote for, our national security state – and that of Israel – will be...
Aug 05, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep 73•Transcript available on Metacast It is clear to at least half the world, some four billion people, that the United States is not the power that it once was… Our reputation is in tatters in the world.” That is what retired U.S. Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson told MintCast host Mnar Adley today. “When you talk about history and the history of empire in particular, what you find are examples of precisely what is happening to us today,” Wilkerson added, noting, in particular, the fall of the Western Roman and Persian empires and h...
Jul 08, 2024•45 min•Ep 72•Transcript available on Metacast Since 9/11, the United States has launched a series of attacks on sovereign nations, from Afghanistan and Iraq to Libya, Syria and beyond. These wars have left the region beleaguered and broken. But recently, as American power wanes, a new set of forces has emerged. An axis led by Iran, Syria and Yemen has emerged to counter U.S.-Israeli dominance and global giants, such as China and Russia, are increasingly being drawn into the region. Could this lead to a new and even brighter future for West ...
May 28, 2024•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the wake of escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, MintCast brings you an exclusive interview with Seyed Mohammad Marandi, Professor of English Literature and Orientalism at the University of Tehran. Join MintPress as we delve into the unfolding events and gain insights into Iran's perspective. As the world's attention remains fixated on the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the subsequent global student protests, focus has shifted to the broader implications of Israel's actio...
May 06, 2024•54 min•Ep 70•Transcript available on Metacast Gaza is the “key issue of our era,” Green Party presidential hopeful Jill Stein told the MintCast today. “Every international law in the books is being broken,” she said, “This is not something that began on October 7. This is the continuation of ethnic cleansing and displacement that began in 1947 and 1948 with the displacement of 750,000 people.” While Stein condemned Israel for its actions, she placed ultimate responsibility for much of the violence on Washington, telling MintCast host Mnar A...
Apr 05, 2024•56 min•Ep 69•Transcript available on Metacast Haiti is in crisis. As armed groups come together and storm the island nation’s institutions, leading to mass prison breaks, U.S.-backed Prime Minister Ariel Henry – who was abroad at the time, desperately trying to negotiate some kind of foreign intervention – has resigned. Henry’s departure has left a power vacuum on the island. Will an alliance of armed groups seize power in a revolution? Will factions of the old government hang on? Or will the United States intervene to reassert control over...
Mar 21, 2024•46 min•Ep 68•Transcript available on Metacast One week after Aaron Bushnell set himself on fire in an extreme act of Protest for Palestine – the world has been awe-struck by his galvanizing act of courage, with his last words being Free Palestine. Across the world, including in Yemen and Gaza, Bushnell is being memorialized as a martyr for Palestine as Israel continues its genocide in Gaza that has left over 30,000 people dead. His protest was not only moving but stood in stark contrast to the empty rhetoric given by so-called liberal polit...
Mar 08, 2024•35 min•Ep 67•Transcript available on Metacast Even as Israel turns Gaza into dust, few Western celebrities have dared to raise their voices against the genocide – and many have even supported it. One notable exception to this are the Hadids. The family of Palestinian-American fashion designers, influencers and models have been using their considerable platforms to bring attention to the slaughter and to call on the world to act to save innocent civilians. Today, Alana Hadid joins MintCast host Mnar Adley for a frank and insightful discussio...
Mar 04, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast For all of his power and prestige, Bill Gates is rarely scrutinized in our media. The Seattle native has been careful to cultivate an image of a well-meaning nerd who uses his wealth for good. Our guest today on the “MintCast” is an exception to that rule, being one of the few investigative journalists to critically examine Gates’ power and influence. Tim Schwab is an award-winning investigative journalist based in Washington, D.C. His reporting has been published in outlets such as The Nation, ...
Feb 21, 2024•55 min•Ep 35•Transcript available on Metacast The United States and the United Kingdom recently carried out their eighth round of strikes against targets in Yemen that they claim are being used by Yemen’s Ansar Allah – known in the West as the Houthis – to threaten maritime navigation in the Red Sea. Since Israel began its deadly incursion into Gaza on October 7 of last year, Ansar Allah has carried out a de facto campaign of targeted sanctions against Israeli economic interests, attacking ships traveling through the Red Sea that it says ar...
Jan 30, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast As China continues rising and the U.S. attempts to dominate the world, Northeast Asia becomes an increasingly crucial battleground. The United States is trying to encircle China with a network of hundreds of military bases while building a trilateral military alliance with South Korea and Japan. But many in those countries want to be free of U.S. domination. Our guest today is Tim Shorrock , a writer and commentator who has covered the region since the 1970s. Growing up in Japan, Tim has covered...
Dec 18, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the wake of the October 7 assault, more than 700 celebrities signed an open letter pledging support to the government of Israel. On the other hand, the hip-hop community has displayed solidarity with Gaza, with over 600 artists joining the Musicians for Palestine movement. Joining MintCast host Alan MacLeod today to talk about Gaza and the music industry is Immortal Technique . Immortal Technique is an independent rapper and activist widely regarded as one of his generation's most respec...
Dec 06, 2023•56 min•Ep 32•Transcript available on Metacast There is no doubt about it: China is rising. Whether it sparks hope and interest or fear and worry, it is impossible to ignore the country’s rapid economic and social transformation. Just a few decades ago, the words “made in China” were a synonym for bad quality junk. But today, China leads the world in all manner of high-tech industries, including photovoltaic cells, semiconductors, 5G communications technologies, and electric vehicles. Joining “MintCast” host today is someone who knows China ...
Oct 03, 2023•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast America is addicted to war. But its citizens rarely see the brutal realities of the U.S. military-industrial complex up close. That is because our pliant media hides the carnage from the public, refusing to report on the victims of the war machine, and uses euphemisms like “surgical strikes” and “enhanced interrogation techniques” to mask the barbarity meted out by Washington around the world. A recent study from the Costs of War Project at Brown University found that the post-9/11 wars have bee...
Sep 26, 2023•52 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast South of the border, an entire region is rising, electing radical governments and moving towards integration and genuine independence. Today, “MintPress News” speaks to Ollie Vargas about Latin America and just what is going on in the region President Joe Biden called the U.S.’ “front yard.” Ollie Vargas is an award-winning journalist based in Bolivia. He is the co-founder of “ Kawsachun News ,” an outlet reporting in the English language on Bolivia and Latin America. He has also contributed to ...
Aug 18, 2023•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever wondered just how much of your hard-earned tax dollars go to funding our bloated war machine? On today’s episode of “The MintCast,” Lindsay Koshgarian lays out the staggering expense that American taxpayers fork out each year to keep the U.S. empire going. “The average person is paying over $2300 per year for our military, plus another $700 for veterans’ [benefits]. So that’s over $3000. To put that in some other perspective, that’s more than twice what the median rent is for a two...
Aug 10, 2023•50 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast Americans want change. A December poll found that only 38% of the country is satisfied with the way the political system is working, with nearly two-thirds expressing their discontent. Despite this, it appears that very little change is on the horizon; the 2024 election is looking increasingly likely that the two parties will select aging relics in Joe Biden and Donald Trump as their candidates. In this situation, half of Americans say they would consider voting for a third party, despite the cl...
Aug 04, 2023•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast Somebody blew up the Nord Stream II pipeline – that much is certain. Yet, since September last year, when the incident occurred, no one has come forward to take responsibility, and the attack has become the subject of intense international debate. Our guest on “MintCast” is Bryce Greene , a writer, journalist, activist and media critic who has covered the issue extensively in outlets such as “ Fairness And Accuracy in Reporting .” Earlier this month, Bryce was invited to speak at the United Nati...
Jul 28, 2023•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast As the war in Ukraine continues to take lives, many people worldwide question its legitimacy and demand an end to the violence. Yet even as calls to cease the conflict grow, the Biden administration has announced that it will up the ante by sending cluster munitions to Ukraine – a weapon banned by more than 100 countries worldwide. Today’s guest, Medea Benjamin , an anti-war activist and co-founder of the peace group CODEPINK , was shocked by the decision. “The world came together in 2008 to ban...
Jul 24, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast MintPress speaks to James Rehwald . Thanks to his innovative comedy and razor-sharp wit, James has amassed hundreds of thousands of followers across social media platforms, his viral, darkly satirical videos having been seen by tens of millions of people worldwide. James constantly takes aim at the entire power structure to produce explicitly anti-imperialist, radical shorts that cut deep. A frequent target of his is the CIA. "The CIA are basically gangsters for American capitalism,” he tol...
Jul 14, 2023•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast It ain’t easy being a YouTuber—at least, not a political one. The platform is a giant, Byzantine organization filled with secret rules and algorithms that content creators constantly fall afoul of. This is especially true for radical voices, who are incessantly shadowbanned and suppressed by the Google-owned platform. One person who has broken through the algorithmic barriers better than almost anyone is JT Chapman, host of the Second Thought channel. Chapman makes engaging video essays about so...
Jul 05, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast The United States is an empire, even if its citizens don’t all realize it. That is the conclusion from historian and political scientist Aaron Good, who joins Alan MacLeod on this week’s edition of “MintCast.” Today, Good walks us through the history of how the United States came to dominate the world and the organizations it uses – especially the CIA and NATO – in order to enforce its control over the planet. He notes that as Europe and Asia were destroying themselves in conflict, the U.S. gave...
Jun 26, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Last month, on his way back to Great Britain, MintPress contributor Kit Klarenberg was detained and interrogated. The investigative journalist was met at the airport by six anonymous plainclothes counter-terror officers, who seized his electronic devices, and memory cards and took his fingerprints and DNA. Under Schedule Three, Section Four of the U.K. 2019 Counter-Terrorism and Border Act, they grilled him for over five hours, asking probing questions on everything from his opinions on the curr...
Jun 22, 2023•26 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast Amid an ongoing crisis in recruitment, the military has found a novel way of enticing teens to enlist: thirst traps. “MintCast” co-host Alan MacLeod joins Mnar Adley for an in-house edition of the podcast to describe how the military is using young teens’ horniness against them, utilizing an army of attractive women posting sexually suggestive content on social media – in effect, turning a generation of young men from simps into soldiers. Alan MacLeod is senior staff writer and podcast producer ...
Jun 05, 2023•53 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast You can indict Vladimir Putin over war crimes in Ukraine. But if you do, you’d better indict Joe Biden as well. That is the message that Professor Alfred de Zayas, world-renowned human rights and international law expert, gave “MintCast” host Alan MacLeod on today’s episode of the series. A Swiss-American lawyer, academic and United Nations official with over 50 years’ experience in the field of human rights, de Zayas joins us for a wide-ranging discussion about international law and Ukraine, U....
Jun 01, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
