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Calls are growing to break up the Big Tech giants, with a handful of companies controlling more and more of the technology industry, crowding out or acquiring would-be competitors and exercising vast power over the U.S. economy. Lawmakers grilled the CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook during a hearing last week on whether their companies are guilty of stifling competition, in a scene reminiscent of the 1994 hearing of tobacco executives who claimed cigarettes were not addictive. This came just days after Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos reportedly made $13 billion in a single day, even as the coronavirus pandemic has left millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet. We speak with Scott Galloway, professor of Marketing at NYU Stern, who says we may be seeing "the beginning of the end" of the tech monopolies.

The explosion in the port of Beirut, which killed at least 100 people and injured about 4,000 others, is the latest blow to Lebanon, which already faces an economic, political and public health crisis amid the coronavirus pandemic. The blast is believed to have been triggered by 2,700 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate inexplicably left unattended in a warehouse for six years. Journalist Rami Khouri says it's further proof of "the cumulative incompetence, corruption, lassitude, amateurism and uncaring attitude by successive Lebanese governments" that have failed the country. "It's the ruling political elite that is responsible for this," he says.

As Beirut reels from a massive explosion that killed at least 100 people and injured thousands, we get an on-the-ground update from pediatrician and writer Dr. Seema Jilani, who treated her own daughter for injuries after the blast. "It was extremely packed because we're just coming out of a four-day lockdown," says Jilani. "Everybody was out." Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab called the explosion a "national catastrophe."

FEATURING JOSHUA FERNANDEZ – Healthcare workers in states where coronavirus infections are spiking are once more seeing serious shortages of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as they struggle to keep patients alive without getting infected themselves. The National Union of Healthcare Workers has demanded that its members be provided ample PPE as well as hazard pay....

FEATURING SONIA SHAH – It is no coincidence that during a time of changing climates, wealth inequality, and a global pandemic, that large masses of humans would leave their homes to escape danger and death looking for a better life. Indeed, it is only natural to migrate—as non-human species do, who do not have to...

Dear Rising Up With Sonali listeners and viewers,  KPFK is in a very serious financial situation. The pandemic has impacted us deeply and we are several hundreds of thousands of dollars short of our goal. One of the ways in which Sonali is helping out is to offer to listeners and viewers like you, one...

Yes, we've got a little something for everyone today on The BradCast. We even crank things up to 11 at one point. [Audio link to show follows below.] Among the stories covered on today's program (as voters headed to the "polls" on Tuesday in Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Washington state --- available unofficial results on [...]

IN TODAY'S RADIO REPORT: Hurricane Isaias hits North Carolina amid a pandemic, and makes weather history; Rising sea levels pushing storm impacts further inland, study warns; PLUS: 15 states clear the air by moving to all-electric trucks and buses... All that and more in today's Green News Report! PLEASE CLICK HERE TO HELP US WITH A [...]

On today's BradCast: Elections are under threat once again this year, and not just from the President of the United States. But one group of cybersecurity experts launched a new initiative on Friday to try and help --- and not a moment too soon. [Audio link to full show is posted below.] First up, what suffices [...]

A Massive Explosion Rocks Beirut Ahead of a Verdict in the Bombing of a Former Prime Minister | Trump's Disastrous Interview in Which Follow Up Questions Were Asked | Republicans Revive the Deficit Myth After Voting For Trump's Tax Cuts

All of Trump's Public Health Experts Should Have Resigned Months Ago | The Countrywide Spread of the Coronavirus and Herd Immunity | Billionaires Are Richer Than Ever So Why Aren't They Giving More? backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

Americans Face a Tsunami of Evictions | It is Clear Trump is Crippling the U.S. Postal Service to Stymie Voting by Mail in November | Advice From Portland's Veteran in Non-Violent Activism and Training backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia facebook.com/ianmastersmedia