Info

Voice To America podcast

Voice to America takes world issues important to America and asks experts, citizens and journalists around the globe for their opinions.
RSS Feed
Voice To America podcast
2024
March
February
January


2023
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2022
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2021
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2020
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2019
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2018
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2017
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2016
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March


Categories

All Episodes
Archives
Categories
Now displaying: 2017
Dec 31, 2017

As reality journalists focused on Trump's 2017, massive protests broke out in Iran. As the protests grew in strength, foreign media outlets reported two deaths. What exactly are they protesting? Some say it's over unemployment and the lack of economic activity while others claim it's a reaction to the government's funding of terrorist groups in the region. President Trump has already tweeted that the world is watching. We'll speak to multiple voices in Iran about what they're witnessing in the Iranian media. What do they think will change as a result of these protests? Are Trump's tweets helping or hurting the protestors? The end of the year is here and Voice to America will tell you what to expect in the coming twelve months. What will happen with North Korea? What effect will Trump's tweets have on foreign relations? Will the recent protests in Iran shape the future of the Middle East? Are world governments going to regulate social media and cryptocurrencies? Will the reality journalists stop reporting why Trump won the election? And finally, the question we all want answered: Will Don Lemon get wasted and have his other ear pierced on New Year's Eve?

Dec 31, 2017

This week President Trump decided to sell anti-tank weapons to the Ukrainian Army. It's something Obama promised but Trump delivered. If you're watching american corporate media, the only thing you hear about Trump is that he's in Putin's pocket. This move puts tremendous strain on US-Russia relations. Putin came out and said Trump crossed the line and will only make the conflict worse. We speak to voices in the Ukraine and find out what the people think about the controversial move. Will the American weapons help to ease a war that's been going on since 2014.
Then we head to Catalonia where they've voted again on secession, this time, backed by the Spanish government. Much to the Spanish government's dismay, they got the same result. We'll speak to Mar in Spain and find out if she thinks the Spanish government will honor the election results.

Dec 17, 2017

Why did President Trump make good on his promise to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel? Also, the media says the Palestinians are angry and unruly but is that the truth? We speak to our voice in the region about what, if anything, Trump gets from his proclamation. We also find out what life has been like in Israel since Trump's declaration. Then, we're headed into Europe where government officials are reluctantly moving toward Brexit. Is the British government slowing down the process on purpose? We speak to Mark in Europe about the slow-moving Brexit and what the future holds for the relationship between Britain and the US. Finally, another social media social media company executive says the business he helped build is destroying society. That is, until he walked back his comments on Facebook shortly thereafter. All of these executives are going public just as world governments consider regulating tech giants like Facebook and Twitter. They're confessing to a bank robbery as the cops close in.

Dec 10, 2017

Just as we reported last Sunday, President Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the reality journalists went wild. But is the sky really falling? Erdogan is not happy with the decision, nor are most of the countries in the Middle East. We speak to voices in the region about the president's declaration and what the blowback may actually be. Then, is ISIS really done? This week, the Iraqi government declared ISIS defeated. Russian government followed suit, reporting the terrorist group had be eradicated from Syria. Is this true or wishful thinking? We speak to our voices on the ground and find out the validity of their claims and discuss if there's a way they could come back. Finally, this week's Change is Hard segment is all about retractions. We'll use our anonymous sources to show you the latest round of news blunders and talk about why the corrections seem so disingenuous.

Dec 3, 2017

This week, President Trump may recognize the Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. What's wrong with that? Well, the Palestinians also claim the biblical city as their capital. When the American popular media spend the twenty seconds-per-hour on the story, the facts get lost, but what do the Israelis think? What dangers would this pose to the Israeli people? We speak to a voice on the ground in Israel and find out what, if anything, will happen if Trump decides to recognize the capital of the Jewish state. Then we're headed to the Pacific Rim where the Kid Dictator has launched a very serious missile capable of reaching most of the globe. We speak to our voice in Japan about what Kim Jong Un is expecting to accomplish and what the US response must be. Is it time for more diplomacy or military intervention? Regardless of what the pint-sized protagonist does next, there must be an overall strategy. And on Change is Hard, we ask the toughest question in modern reality journalism: Where in the world is Matt Lauer? This week, all the news actors and Today Show viewers lamented the fall of a trusted member of the family. All we can say for sure is, if you still won't admit Matt Lauer was playing the part of Matt Lauer, then change may be impossible for you.

Nov 26, 2017

Angela Merkel, the press-dubbed "new leader of the free world" may be in her last days as the leader of Germany. After being reelected this summer, her position as the leader of the minority party may force her resignation or a new election altogether. We call on Mark in Europe to discuss how Angela Merkel went from the leader of the free world to a political minority in Germany and what her possible departure could mean for the future of the EU. Then, Iraq and Iran declared the end of ISIS this week. So how did a mosque attack in Egypt by militants flying the ISIS flag leave over 300 dead? What will Egypt's response be? Will America get involved? We speak to Kareem in Egypt about the deadliest terror attack in Egypt's history. And finally, we say goodbye to the leader of Zimbabwe. That's right, after 37 years in power, Robert Mugabe has been forced to resign in tears this week. We'll take an in-depth look at how foreign media is covering the departure of the despotic leader in our Global Media Spotlight.

Nov 19, 2017

This week we're headed to Zimbabwe where Robert Mugabe has been ousted from power in a military coup. The 93-year-old leader was forced out and given until Monday to resign on his own. We speak to an African voice and find out what lasting effects Mugabe's departure will have on the region. Will this be the beginning of revolutions in other African countries?
Then, we're back in the Middle East covering the big story American corporate media has overlooked, the growing tension between the Saudis and the Iranians. The Saudis, with the backing of Trump and the United States is attempting to change the power structure in the region. We'll speak to our Iranian voice and get his perspective on the quickly escalating conflict and how Iran will react.
Finally, in Change is Hard, we'll talk about Morning Joe's Mika Brzezinski's change of heart on the Bill Clinton accusers and she isn't alone. If the reality journalists were so wrong about Clinton, how can anyone still trust them? 

Nov 12, 2017

The cold war between the Saudis and Iranians heats up as each nation struggles for power in Lebanon following the resignation of the Lebanese prime minister. The Saudis have been very busy over the pas two weeks but our voice in Yemen says the rhetoric from the US and Saudi Arabia is wrong. In our Global Media Spotlight, President Trump wraps up his Asia trip where he addressed the North Korea problem. What did he say and will it have any effect on relations between the Kid Dictator and countries in the region? Finally, as we've been saying for months, the final showdown between social media giants and government leaders is in full swing. Is it time for governments around the world to step in and regulate cat photos? What would government intervention mean for the future of your Facebook page or even worse, the VTA Facebook page?

Nov 5, 2017

Big news out of Asia as Trump visited Japan to give a speech on North Korea. We'll speak to our resident missile defense expert Riki Ellison about the message Trump delivered during his visit to the region. Did he outline anything new? Are we any closer to a resolution with the Kid Dictator? Then, an incredibly important story American reality journalists don't find sexy enough to cover, the prime minister of Lebanon has resigned. Former Prime Minster Hariri cited Iran's influence as one of the reasons for his departure. Already, two of the most powerful countries in the region have already started positioning themselves to influence Lebanon. We'll speak to our Lebanese voice and discover what the Hariri's departure means for the US and the Middle East. Finally, in our Global Media Spotlight, French TV weighs in on the Halloween truck attack in New York. Is foreign media taking initiative to be different or are they treating the story the same way as the American corporate media?

Oct 29, 2017

The Spanish government is starting a crackdown in Catalonia, arresting political opponents while pro-Spain protestors take to the street. Catalonia's government officially declared independence from Spain earlier this week and the Spanish government answered by arresting political opponents. Catalan leaders called the Spanish response an attack on "the institutions and the people of Catalonia” and compared it to the Franco-era dictatorship. We speak to our voice in Spain and find out if Spain will be able to keep itself together. Then we're off to Saudi Arabia where Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the future Saudi king, says he wants his country to turn to "moderate Islam." What is moderate Islam? Why is Saudi royalty proclaiming a change in a country that currently has police enforce religious ideals? We'll speak to voices in the Middle East about what a secular shift will do to Saudi Arabia and the region. Finally, in our Change is Hard segment, what happened to the gray area? If you agree with one view, do you have to be diametrically opposed to every other opinion? We'll listen to a great example of how the elusive gray area threw a journalist for a loop. And you'd better agree with Tony or else he'll play the stinger again.

Oct 22, 2017
ISIS has been defeated in Raqqa, Syria and the US government is claiming to have defeated ISIS yet again. Is the caliphate destroyed or is the terrorist organization going to regroup someplace else? What does the victory in Raqqa mean for the rest of the region? We'll travel to Syria and speak to our voice about what actually occurred in the battle for Raqqa and if the US was responsible for flushing out ISIS. Then, a man calling himself the Czech Trump is now the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic. What does his victory mean for the Czechs and the rest of Europe? We'll speak to our European voice and learn if the anti-establishment fervor in the Czech Republic could become contagious. Finally, we're headed to Niger where four American soldiers were killed during an ambush by Boko Haram, an Islamic terror group. What were soldiers doing in Niger? We speak to our African voice about the American mission in Africa and why it's important.
Oct 15, 2017

He's been talking about it since before the 2016 election and this week President Trump decertified the Iran Nuclear Deal. What does it mean for the future of Iran's nuclear program? Last week, Iran's foreign minister told Al Jazeera that sanctions don't work, so how does the US plan on keeping nuclear weapons out of Iran? We speak to another Iranian voice and ask him what Iran's response will be. Then we're headed to Spain where a divide has turned into a chasm over Catalonia. The Catalan leader made statements claiming Catalonia's independence, then took the statements back shortly after. What would a divided Spain mean for the future of the EU? We reached out to our Spanish voice and find out if the Spanish government has any recourse after Catalonia's historic election. Finally, the Pakistani government worked with the US to return an Americans held hostage in rural Pakistan. Even President Trump was impressed with the collaboration. Our Pakistani voice says they will always help the United States as long as they're asked, but has that always been the case?

Oct 8, 2017

In the wake of last week's mass shooting in Las Vegas, the world weighs in on America's firearm policies. Tony speaks to our European voices about the attack and aftermath. Europe considers the US to be the wild wild West. Why? Because Europe has some of the strictest firearm laws in the Western world. Do they think their rigid gun laws are having any effect on the terrorist attacks they're seeing on a weekly basis? Does Europe have anything to teach us when it comes to gun control?
Finally, we're off to Iran to discuss the future of the Iran Nuclear Deal. What happens if President Trump pulls out of what many consider to be the Obama Administration's greatest achievement in foreign policy? We'll speak to voices in the region about how the Iranian government will handle the possible termination of the deal. What will Iran do if the treaty is cut, will it make any difference? What options do they have? Did the Iranians even stick to the agreement to begin with?

Oct 1, 2017

Today in Catalonia, the small area on the southern coast of Spain, erupted in violence. Police took to the street in a last ditch effort to prevent people in the region from heading to the polls. We'll speak to our Spanish voice about what's really going on in the streets and what a vote for independence really means for the future of Spain and the EU. Will the Spanish government really honor a vote to secede? Then, another terror attack in Marseille, France only hours ago claimed the lives of two women in a train station before police shot the suspect. Also, in Edmonton another terror attack with a vehicle put one police officer and four others in the hospital. We'll check in with our voices and find out how the media in those regions are covering the story. Finally, President Trump is opening up communications with The Kid Dictator. Is the president slipping backward into the old "don't cross this line please" mentality or is he planning something entirely different?

Sep 24, 2017

The NFL heads to London and takes a knee. Will Europe embrace American social justice? We've already discussed European social justice after the passing of Brexit, but will they take a group of well-paid athletes seriously? We'll speak to Mark in Europe and find out if they're ready for American social justice across the pond. We also speak to Mark about the German elections. Does anyone have a chance of dethroning the "new leader of the free world?" Keep this in mind Germany: change is hard. Then, President Trump speaks at the UN, which is conveniently located right down the street from Trump tower. This time he doubled down on the Rocket Man taking a hard line stance against the Kid Dictator and Iran. We'll speak to our resident missile defense expert Riki Ellison and find out what Trump's message actually means and what the US needs to do to fix the problem. And we'll speak to our Iranian voice about Trump's remarks at the UN where he spoke about the Iran Nuclear Deal. He called the deal a failure...again, so what does Iran do? That's right, test a ballistic missile.

Sep 17, 2017

Social Justice isn't just for Americans anymore! On today's global media spotlight, we've got an interview between one of the founders of Twitter and the BBC. Did Twitter succeed in actually making the planet dumber? Australia is where the latest social justice craze is sweeping the continent. Is a national holiday so offensive that it needs to be removed from the calendar? We speak to a new voice in Australia and find out if most of the country is in-tune with social justice. Then we're talking climate change after a star studded telethon to help the victims of the hurricanes, Stevie Wonder says you're blind if you don't believe that climate change is real. We'll also hear a report about the Canadian government investigating groups that refuse to submit to the idea that climate change is man made. Then, the Trump administration has taken another step forward with North Korea, this time he's gone from diplomacy to the Defense Department. What will the Pentagon do to curb the Kid Dictator's missile advancements? Our resident missile defense expert Riki Ellison calls in to discuss what the Pentagon may do to halt Kim Jong Un's missile tests.

Sep 10, 2017

Today we're focusing on the global media's handling of the American hurricane season. Mother Nature is mad at the election Trump, so she sent hurricanes? One Oxford professor says the world needs to make companies pay for climate change because money solves everything. You won't want to miss the Global Media Spotlight special.

Did you know about the magnitude 8.1 earthquake in Mexico? If you've been watching American TV you probably didn't. We speak to Jorge in Mexico about Irma, climate change and find out how the Mexican people are dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake and tropical storm Katia. Why didn't the American media cover the quake?

Get your windbreakers, umbrellas and loose-fitting ball caps ready, we're going to a live report from the eye of the storm that is Change is Hard. Jennifer Lawrence nearly lost her composure in an interview on British TV because of the impact Trump has had on the weather. Then we check in with everyone's favorite underdog, Hillary Clinton. She's resurfaced yet again and you'll be shocked to hear all the regular people stuff she did to feel better after she lost the election.

Sep 3, 2017

If sending a missile over Japan wasn't bad enough, the Kid Dictator tested another bomb this week. This time it's reported to be a thermonuclear weapon so large, it caused an artificial earthquake. It took the US seven years to make the jump from atomic to thermonuclear; how is North Korea advancing so quickly? President Trump meets with military leaders this morning to discuss how the US is to proceed. We check in with resident missile defense expert Riki Ellison and find out what Trump's next move needs to be. Riki is usually dead-on when it comes to what North Korea and the US will do next, you won't want to miss this interview. Then, we're headed to Tehran to check in on the Iran Nuclear Deal. After two years, how has the Trump dubbed "worst deal ever" worked out? Could this be a blueprint of how to deal with North Korea? Finally, we've traveled around the world to bring you global coverage of Hurricane Harvey. In the wake of the devastation and loss of American lives, the corporate media was busy calling out the first lady for her choice of footwear, but what did the global media blame? New listeners may be shocked, but VTA fans won't be surprised.

Aug 27, 2017

The kid dictator launched three ballistic missiles into the ocean on Friday, signaling that the "fire and fury" US response has had no effect on Kim Jong Un's missile tests. We speak to resident missile defense expert Riki Ellison and find out if these tests correlate with the collision of an oil tanker and the USS John S. McCain.
Then, in our Global Media Spotlight we're headed to Afghanistan, where President Trump's Af-Pak plan is set to take effect. Is Trump's attempt to end the war in Afghanistan something different or the same old plan instituted by Obama and Bush more than sixteen years ago?
And finally, Angela Merkel, the press-dubbed "new leader of the free world," has a challenger in the German election scheduled for September 24th. We speak to Mark in Europe about how the media is covering what was set to be a very important election. Does challenger Martin Schulz have a chance at defeating Merkel?

Aug 20, 2017

An ISIS group is taking credit for multiple attacks across Spain that left over 14 people dead and over 100 injured. What implications does this attack have for security in Spain? How is the EU handling these latest attacks? We'll head into Barcelona and speak to our newest voice there to find out how a terrorist cell was able to pull off the largest attack in Spain's history.
Then, President Trump is about to release a new plan to deal with the war in Afghanistan. What will his plan entail? We speak to our voice in Pakistan and find out what provisions he thinks need to be implemented in order to ensure some level of success in ending the longest war in US history.
Then we're headed abroad where the foreign corporate media covered the Charlottesville riots all last week. Some pundits even tried to say the Spain attacks were somehow inspired by last week's events. We'll break apart foreign coverage and put their tactics up for display in our Global Media Spotlight.

Aug 16, 2017

The N Korean missile crisis has captured the attention of the entire world. Find out how not only the U.S. is dealing with it, but how Europe is being affected. Mark also explains how Germany publicly claims to be in favor of clean energy while secretly colluding to promote the combustion engine. Mark and Tony review the film “Dunkirk.”

Aug 13, 2017

The American corporate media are freaking about nuclear North Korea and a hotheaded response from the White House. Is it really as bad as everyone says it is? We've been covering the peewee protagonist since before he got the bomb and the methods he's using are nothing new. We speak to resident missile expert Riki Ellison and find out if we should duck and cover or balk at the hysteria caused by reality journalism.
Then, President Trump says we're losing the fight in Afghanistan. To halt the lack of winning, the United States is ready to release soldiers of fortune in Afghanistan. Private warfare is one of the oldest professions and lest we forget companies like Blackwater, which took center stage in Iraq. We'll speak to our Afghani voice and find out if there are any benefits to unleashing the all-mighty dollar on our adversaries.
Then we dive head first into the latest terrorist attack in France via the Global Media Spotlight. If an attack happens overseas and nobody dies, does it make a sound? We'll learn how the French are dealing with more terrorism on home soil.
Finally You'll want to tune in to the Change is Hard live stream for the first ever Voice to America Who Wore It Better. Kim Jong Un defends his throne against copycats, will he come out the victor? Also, Jeffrey Lord was fired from CNN for a Twitter argument where he called his opposition Hitler with a "seig heil." This proves that anti-Trumpers are the only people allowed to say, "You're literally Hitler." Isn't Lord the guy Anderson Cooper said would defend a Trump dump on a desk?

Aug 6, 2017

This morning we're headed to South America where a coup attempt has taken place in Venezuela. After an months of protests and a constitutional election, it seems like the people have had enough of Nicolas Maduro. This morning, a Venezuelan army base has been taken over by a group of anti-Maduro soldiers. We'll find out if the violence is as bad as the clips on social media show it to be.
Then, we're going South of the border after another White House leak. This time it's the transcript of President Trump and Mexican president Pena Nieto speaking shortly after Trump was sworn in. It's not particularly interesting and mostly resembles the same thing Trump has been saying for over two years. We'll speak to Jorge in Mexico and discover how the government there is dealing with it.

Jul 30, 2017

Well, it's officially time to panic, the Kid Dictator can reach out and touch Chicago. How is North Korea able to build missiles and increase their range so fast? As the ICBM threat looms over the US, President Trump says China is doing nothing to help stop the bowl-cut menace. We speak to resident missile defense expert Riki Ellison this morning and find out what he thinks the solution is.
And earlier this week, the British government says it aims to eliminate "petrol" cars from the new car market by 2040. The French already made a similar proclamation, but are citizens really going to turn in their petrol and diesel cars for a Tesla or Leaf? We speak to Mark in France calls the show and reveals that he is a part of the greenhouse gas problem, he drives a diesel truck... in Europe.
Finally, tune in to our Facebook live stream at the top of the second hour to see something truly spectacular: Tony will be in studio with the champion great white shark that raced and beat Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps.

Jul 30, 2017

The governments in France and The UK are banning gas cars. The politicians believe electric cars are the future of transport. Find out if this is realistic, if this would be a good idea for the U.S., and if Mark will trade in his big-ass diesel pickup truck for Nissan Leaf.

1 2 3 Next »