WPKN Archives: 12.08.25: Counterpoint host Scott Harris presents Sen. Bernie Sanders denouncing Trump imposing oligarchy, authoritarianism; discusses US attack on drug boats & war crimes; Concerns re: Congo Rwanda agreement; New book on abolition of juvenile prisons

Episode Info

Original Aired:
Monday, December 8th, 2025
8:09PM to 9:31PM

Duration:
1 hour, 22 minutes

Posted:
Monday, December 8th, 2025 8:00PM

Tags:
peace congo children trauma trump berniesanders internationallaw brutality warcrimes authoritarianism kleptocracy drugwar prisonreform profiteering abolition oligarchy rwanda drugboats drc juvenilejustice juvenileprisons


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Episode: 12.08.25: Counterpoint host Scott Harris presents Sen. Bernie Sanders denouncing Trump imposing oligarchy, authoritarianism; discusses US attack on drug boats & war crimes; Concerns re: Congo Rwanda agreement; New book on abolition of juvenile prisons

COUNTERPOINT RADIO, hosted by Scott Harris, is heard every Monday night on WPKN 89.5 FM, Bridgeport, CT between 8:00 – 9:30 pm ET. Webstreaming and audio archive at http://wpkn.org

1) Excerpt of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ speech from the floor of the U.S. Senate Feb. 4, 2025, where he denounced the Trump administration defiance of the U.S. Constitution and rule of law, describing it as a dangerous movement toward oligarchy, authoritarianism and kleptocracy.

2) Matthew Hoh, Eisenhower Media Network Fellow, is a former USMC Captain and State Department Officer, Iraq War combat veteran and Afghanistan War State Department officer. He'll discuss the Trump regime's announced intention to launch airstrikes against Venezuela, as well as covert CIA operations in the country... I'd also like to talk about your views on the US bombing of suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans -- and news reports that there were standing orders to kill survivors of those attacks.

3) Maurice Carney, Executive Director of Friends of Congo discusses Africa observers concerns over Donald Trump's recent meeting with the leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda where they signed an agreement aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Congo, while opening the region’s critical mineral reserves to the U.S. government and American companies.

4) Journalist Nell Bernstein, talks about her new book, "In Our Future We Are Free: The Dismantling of the Youth Prison," which recounts the story of how a coalition of parents, activists, and prison officials launched a successful campaign in states across the U.S. to end the prosecution of young people as adults, slashing the number of children locked in cages by a stunning 75 percent.

Some segments featured on Counterpoint are edited for re-broadcast on the syndicated Between The Lines radio news magazine. Visit their web site at http://www.btlonline.org for free subscriptions to mp3 - podcast audio files, program summaries and interview transcripts. An archive of current and past Counterpoint interviews are accessible for free at our Counterpoint Radio web site: http://counterpointradio.org The full 1.5 hour unedited program can be accessed for a 2 week period after the show, at the WPKN Radio archives: http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/search/counterpoint

 

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