Russia-Ukraine Grain Deal Collapses: Who’s to Blame for World Hunger?

On The Freedom Side LIVE, Thursday 7/27 at 3pm ET/12pm PT, tune in to hear -Russia terminated its UN-brokered grain deal with Ukraine that allowed Ukraine to export 33 million metric tons of grain through Black Sea ports via Turkey. Russia objected to the fact the majority of the grain was being sent to wealthier European countries rather than the intended destinations in Asia and Africa as well as the ongoing sanctions that block the easy export of Russian grain and agricultural products. Hosts Rania and Eugene discuss breakdown of the deal and the role of financial speculation in food markets in worsening global food insecurity. -At the 49th Group of Seven (G7) summit, the G7 leaders prepared a ‘unified response’ against what they term China’s ‘economic coercion’, unveiling a new ‘Coordination Platform.’ This was the latest in the increasingly aggressive statements and actions being taken by the US government as they escalate the new cold war against China. Carlos Martinez, co-editor of Friends of Socialist China, shares insights from his recent delegation to China, discussing China’s significant role as a force for global peace despite the US’ efforts to contain and militarily encircle the nation. -Ruchell “Cinque” Magee, the longest-held political prisoner in the US, is set to be released from his imprisonment in California Medical Facility. Magee spent 67 of his 84 years in prison, where he fought bravely behind bars in the 1960s and 70s liberation movement. Kameron Hurt, an Organizer with the Coalition to Free Ruchell Magee and The Party for Socialism and Liberation discusses the fight to free Magee and how he remains a symbol of resistance for political prisoners worldwide. -Much of the southern half of the United States has been under extreme heat advisories as a deadly heat wave brings triple-digit temperatures to millions of people on both sides of the border. The record temperatures have greatly exacerbated the crisis at the border, further endangering the lives of migrants. Walter Smolarek, Editor of Liberation News, discusses the US border patrol’s horrific treatment of migrants and the urgent need to address the increasing frequency of extreme weather events like heat waves -On Monday, the Israeli parliament passed a law stripping the Supreme Court of its power to block government decisions, sparking mass so-called, “pro-democracy” demonstrations in the apartheid country. David Sheen, an independent on-the-ground investigative journalist highlights a crucial aspect of these protests – the characterization of the Supreme Court as a bastion of democracy, despite the institution’s role in consistently upholding and validating the illegal occupation of Palestine and attacks on Palestinian rights. #BreakThroughNews