This week Trump traveled to Iraq to visit the troops for Christmas. After pulling troops from other areas of the region, the US will remain in Iraq. We check in with our voice in Iraq and find out if the he thinks Trump should pull out of there as well. We'll also learn if ISIS was truly defeated in Iraq. Also, we're getting ready to ring in the new year with our annual Change Is Hard Awards ceremony. This year, you get to choose by voting on our Facebook page! Get to voicetoamerica.com and click the Facebook icon to cast your vote after the Change Is Hard segment.
TRUMP EXITS SYRIA: 2,000 US troops will exit.Trump says ISIS defeated. US military leadership objects, resign. What will the fallout be in the Middle East? Hear.
This week we're headed to Britain where a second vote could take place to cement the already voted on Brexit referendum. Former prime minister Tony Blair is pushing for a second vote but Theresa May says no. We'll check in with Mark in Europe and find out if people really want a second referendum. Then it's back to Canada where the Chinese Huawei executive remains in custody. This puts Canada in a very difficult position, but why is Canada suddenly doing the US' business? We'll speak to a new voice today about the latest developments in the case. And finally, Time Magazine released its pick for the Person Of The Year Award and the winner is: journalists. Time dubbed the piece "The Guardians of The Truth" and decided to pat themselves on the back on one of the biggest corporate media platforms, The Today Show on NBC.
Paris burns once more as the yellow vests take to the street once more. With the fuel tax now shelved by Macron, what are the protestors' new demands? We'll head into Europe and talk to voices on the ground to find out what the rioters want and if Macron will budge. Then we're headed into Canada where the CFO for the Chinese telecom giant Huawei has been arrested at the behest of the US government. All this happening after last week's meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping. We'll go in-depth in our global media spotlight about this under-reported story. Finally, in Change Is Hard, could you imagine having a social credit score? Well, that's what China is doing. What was once thought to be an impossibility is now becoming a reality.
President Trump is in Argentina for the G20 summit, that means it's a busy international news week. Besides the normal pomp and circumstance, Putin made headlines by high fiving the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. We talk to Yuri in Russia about Putin's meeting with Trump and what he hopes to accomplish at the summit. Then we're headed to the Ukraine and take a look at the capture of Ukrainian ships and sailors by Russians in the Sea of Azov. Ukraine is treating this incident as an act of war. We speak to our voice about what the Ukraine's next move will be and if they will be getting any help against Putin The Powerful. Finally, on Change is Hard, Google had a date with congress and the corporate leaders blew it off. We'll look deeper at why Google was a no-show at a conference about foreign influence. What will this mean for the companies who actually showed up?
This week on Voice To America Tony is away on a global excursion and Jim Sharpe is hosting. We'll head into Mexico where the migrant caravan has been halted in the border town of Tijuana. We speak to Jorge in Mexico about the rumors that the Mexican government may absorb the influx of people.
Then we're off to France where protests over the implementation of new fuel taxes to fight climate change have gone wrong. We spoke to Mark in Europe about why these protests started in the first place and what Macron plans to do to save the country and his own hide.
And finally, it's Brexit time. Theresa May is taking a beating from both sides of the isle. We check in on the future of the referendum in our Global Media Spotlight.
The CIA leaked a report about Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder at the hands of the Saudi government. The report says he was murdered at the behest of Prince Mohammad bin Salmon. Trump says he'll have a report in the next 24 to 48 hours. Is this the end of the line for MbS or is there something he can do to redeem himself? We'll speak to our voices in Egypt and Israel. Then we're off to the UK where Brexit may cost the prime minister her job. This week Theresa May said, "If you oust me, you may get no Brexit at all." Would ousting May end the referendum? We'll head into Britain for our global media spotlight and hear from May herself. On this week's Change is Hard, global governments are cracking down on the tech giants once again. This time Zuckerberg says he's creating an independent body to monitor the platform to protect users from offensive speech. Is it too late for Facebook to police itself and get the world off its back?
This week, our favorite White House correspondent Jim Acosta lost his credentials. You probably saw the hours of "analysis" by American popular media outlets, but we'll be heading overseas during the global media spotlight. Then we're going into Turkey to speak with Oguz about the sharing of the Khashoggi tapes. According to Turkey, the US and European governments have received a copy of the assassination audio, but is it enough for the US to take action against the Saudis? Will the audio change anything? Finally, world leaders meet in Europe to commemorate the end of World War I. Like most of the press coverage, it's not about the event, it's about Donald Trump. We'll take a good look at how foreign media are covering the president's visit instead of the memorial.
Angela Merkel steps away from the driver's seat. That's right, the woman the popular media dubbed "the new leader of the free world" is calling it quits. Does this mean the anti-establishment wave has finally hit Germany? We'll check in with Mark in Europe and find out what her departure means for the future of European politics. Then we're headed to Iran where President Trump's sanctions are set to take effect tomorrow. We'll check in with our voice in the region and find out what the president and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hope to achieve by shredding the JCPOA. And finally, in our super ultra loaded mega grand-slam over-the-top high-flying Change Is Hard, we look at Oprah's stumping, Allyson Camerota's journalisming and Don Lemon's lemoning. You won't want to miss this one.
Today we're headed into Brazil where the Trump of the tropics is set to win. And as Bolsonaro's lead grows, the media in Brazil is already going crazy about the future of their democracy. We'll check in with a new voice in Brazil and find out if Bolsonaro is going to bring the change the people want. Then we're headed into Israel to speak with Margot about the synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh. Find out what she thinks the problem is. Finally, we're headed to the Middle East where even more details about Khashoggi have emerged. We speak to our voice in Iran and find out why he thinks the Saudis screwed themselves.
This week we learned the Saudi side of the story. Well, maybe not their side, more like their new story. Yes, they said Khashoggi got into a fight in the consulate and was accidentally killed and chopped up. In light of these new developments we'll check in with our Egyptian voice Kareem and get his take on the Saudi tale. Then we're Russia bound where President Trump announced he was considering leaving a 1987 nuclear treaty with the Russians. How does this play into the Trump/Russia collusion script? What is the main goal? We speak to our resident missile defense expert Riki Ellison and attempt to decode what the endgame is. And finally, we're headed to Honduras where this week a massive group of people started a trek through Central America and Mexico toward the US. We head into Honduras to speak to our voice on the ground and find out why this trek is taking place.
A major controversy is taking place between the US and Saudi Arabian governments after Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi entered the Saudi embassy in Turkey but didn't leave. The missing journalist has become a point of contention between the Trump White House, the EU and the Saudi government and royal family. Why would the Saudis want Khashoggi dead? What should the US' response be? We're going to Turkey, Egypt and around the world to get reactions to the developing story and find out what they think should be done.
Then, on the Change Is Hard segment we take a look at former Attorney General Eric Holder's take on the now infamous Michelle Obama quote: "When they go low we go high." We'll also check in with CIH all-star Don Lemon's coverage of Kanye at the White House and see if his panelists' comments are more outlandish than current champ Philip Mudd.
Did you know there is an Election in Brazil? The front runner Jair Bolsonaro appears to be about as Trump-like as one can get, he even promised to make Brazil great again. We'll head into Brazil in our Global Media Spotlight and see what effect Bolsonaro is having on the media and why he's poised to win by so much. Then we're diving into NAFTA head first. Trump signed a sort-of new trade deal with Canada and Mexico this week. News of the signing was pushed to the back burner in favor of more titillating news entertainment this week, so we'll get you up to speed. We head into both Canada and Mexico and find out what, if anything, has changed. Finally, in our Change Is Hard segment we revisit a letter from a CNN executive that stated on-air staff isn't to use saucy language. Can you guess which one of our favorites flouted the rules this week?
If you were expecting anything different than wall-to-wall Kavanaugh coverage you're out of luck. This week, it seems as though the journalism world stood still during the Senate hearings. We head all over the globe to get reactions from our voices and in our global media spotlight. In case anyone forgot, Trump did speak at the UN this week and he focused a lot of energy on Iran and Iran responded in kind. We head into Iran and get their reaction to the President Trump's statements and find out what if any changes will be made to current US-Iran relations. Finally on Change Is Hard, why are the Kavanaugh hearings global headline news? We also check out the latest cringe-worthy moment from our favorite reality journalist, Jim Acosta.
It's one of our favorite times of the year, the UN General Assembly is meeting this week. Voice To America will cover two of the more important issues the UN will be dealing with: The future of the Iran nuclear deal and a possible denuclearized North Korea. After a meeting between North and South Korea last week, is the kid dictator ready to announce the end of his nuclear program? We'll speak to our missile defense expert Riki Ellison about the possibility of a major announcement. Then we're off to Iran where a terror attack during a military parade has left 25 people dead. ISIS and Arab separatist groups have claimed responsibility but President Rouhani says America is the reason. We check in with our Iranian voice and see what he thinks Rouhani's next move will be. Finally, during Change Is Hard, we'll hear from an expert on the Kavanaugh allegations, a Hawaiian senator and a CNN executive. You won't want to miss this one!
We're off to Iran where the Trump administration may be working on a new deal. You read that right. We speak to our voice in Iran and find out what he thinks the US and Iran are working on behind the scenes. Then we're going into Syria where Bashar Al Assad is prepared to claim victory. Demonstrators take to the streets of Idlib in northwest Syria as the final battle looms. How involved will the US and other countries in the region be? We head into Syria and find out from our voice on the ground what Al Assad's plan is. Finally, on Change Is Hard, our old friend Joe Scarborough writes a piece in the Washington Post claiming that Donald Trump is worse than 9/11. If that wasn't bad enough, he doubled down on his show. Does Joe really think Trump is worse than 9/11?
It's election day in Sweden and Trump style politics is expected to be the big winner. Is the rest of Europe following Brexit? We'll head into Sweden and find out which parties will make headway and potentially change the political landscape of the country. Then we're headed back across the pond where Donald Trump is seeking out Iranian president Rouhani to negotiate a denationalization. After avoiding the White House's invitations for months, Rouhani has expressed a willingness to sit down with the president. We speak to our voice Kamran in Iran and find out what has driven the Iranian president to change his mind. Finally, on Change is Hard, it's game, set, social justice. Serena Williams loses her match after being accused of cheating, arguing with the referee and smashing her racket. She claims her penalties are the result of sexism. Is this an instance of #TimesUp or an intimidation strategy that backfired?
This week we're doing something a little different. Instead of getting the foreign angle of a story the popular media is covering, we're covering a story that has gone ignored in America. On Friday, two American tourists were stabbed in a train station in Amsterdam. The man who stabbed them was an Afghani immigrant and the stabbings were determined to be terror related. Where is Trump? Not even one tweet. We speak to Mark in Europe and find out what happened and why he thinks this story is being under-reported. Then, it's a deal! That's right, President Trump cut a new deal with Mexico this week and now it's Canada's turn. We head north and find out from our Canadian voice if Trump and Trudeau can play nice. Finally, on Change Is Hard, Tony gets introduced to some social justice millennial slang as we discuss the latest no-boys-allowed festival in Sweden. Then CIH aims for the moon, but this time we're doing it for Chinese audiences.
This week we're getting reactions and stories from our voices who knew Sen. John McCain. We check in with our voices in Egypt and Iraq and let them share their memories of John McCain. Then, the North Korea talks are off. This week, Pompeo pulled out of the talks with the kid dictator after reports surfaced that showed the nuclear secession was not happening. The US is calling out China and North Korea claims the US was planning an invasion. We speak to our resident missile defense analyst Riki Ellison and get his take on the turn of events. Finally, on Change Is Hard, President Trump weighs in on CIH valedictorian Philip Mudd. What did he say? Exactly what we said last week. Also, Serena Williams caused a stir at the French Open because of her Black Panther superhero spandex.
We're headed South of the border this morning where the Trump administration is re-negotiating NAFTA. After the latest election in Mexico, is the Trump administration attempting to shove this through before Obrador takes office? We'll check in with Jorge in Mexico and find out what he thinks the motivations are behind these negotiations. Then, we check in on the Af-Pak theater where reports of ISIS are surfacing more and more. Are they really building facilities after being kicked out of their Middle East stronghold? We check in with two voices in the region. Finally, on Change Is Hard, our favorite CIA analyst goes ape on CNN. He's fake cried and dropped the n-bomb on national television but you've never seen him commandeer a show like he did on Friday.
It's been a big week for sanctions. President Trump imposed sanctions on Iran. They're the same sanctions that were in place before the infamous nuclear deal. Is this the best way to deal with Iran? We speak to our Iranian voice and find out if he agrees with Trump's sanctions. Trump also imposed steel and aluminum tariffs on Turkey. Why was this decision made all of a sudden? Will this help to bolster American security in the region? We'll speak to our Turkish voice and get his perspective. Finally, on Change Is Hard, we're going to show how smart Don Lemon says he is. That's right, Lemon responded to Trump's tweets the only way he knows how: by reminding viewers that he's not dumb.
President Trump revives the plan for an Arab alliance of Sunni Muslim countries against Iran. Is it a good idea for the United States to step into the fray and unite the Middle East against a common enemy? We speak to our Egyptian voice and find out what people in the region are saying about the Trump Administration's plan for a Middle East Strategic Alliance. Then, we're headed to Venezuela where the first consumer-grade drone strike against a world leader has taken place. Someone flew a drone packed with explosives into a military ceremony in an attempt to kill President Maduro. How close did the drone get and who is behind it? We'll explore the fallout from yesterday's parade. Finally, LeBron James is doing it for the kids on Don Lemon and Jim Acosta is still crying on Change Is Hard. Stay tuned for some CIH bonus material that saves the environment one turtle at a time.
We're back in Iran this week because Trump and Rouhani are exchanging words. This time, Iran's top general Soleimani is getting in on the mudslinging. With all the talk, what's really behind the rhetoric? We speak to our Iranian voice and find out which policy is causing tensions to heat up. Then we're headed to Pakistan where a new prime minister, Imran Khan, is being compared with Donald Trump. When the US media makes a comparison to President Trump, it's usually to invoke a reaction from ill-informed reality news consumers, but is it true? We'll speak to our voice in Pakistan and find out what this new prime minister is all about. In Change Is Hard we're bringing you the best from the inane morning squawk box that is The View. One of the hosts is building a family because of Trump. Yep, now he's responsible for rushed life decisions.
Voice To America prides itself on finding news before it's news, but when our voices are this dead-on it's scary. Last week, Yuri in Russia outlined the then upcoming meeting between Putin and Trump and he ended up being frighteningly correct. This week we call Yuri once more and get his take on why the president would invite Putin The Powerful to the White House. Because of President Trump's botched meeting last week, we're speaking to our voices around the world in Europe and the Middle East to get a true global reaction. Finally, the fur flies on Change Is Hard and one morning TV host goes low. Our second favorite CNN contributor was a fly on the wall for the infamous Pirro-Whoopi fight.
We're headed into Russia where President Trump is set to meet with Putin The Powerful this week. What will be discussed at the meeting? We won't know because it's closed-door. Yuri, our voice from Russia says that Trump may be compromised. Then, we head to Europe to find out the results of Trump's visit to NATO and Britain. How unpopular is Trump with the British? We already know that Trump is about as subtle as a brick through a window, but did his methods yield any results? We'll speak to British voice Mark about Trump's effect on Europeans and how Teresa May is picking up the pieces after Trump's visit. Finally, on the Change is Hard segment we'll demonstrate how two news networks can tell the same story but with a different outcome. And you'll want to tune in to hear the results of the big VTA poll, we'll discuss if our listeners prefer to go low or high.