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Deadly attacks in Iraq continue, Afghan cops allegedly kill protesters, rebels lose key Syrian town, Dalai Llama tells Buddhists to quit attacking Muslims, China claims Okinawa as theirs, China calls US “the real hacking empire,” toxic dumps can make neighbors more dumb and more dead, wealthy US students get college paid for at the expense of poor, and Dr. Doom predicts crash… plus three bonus stories!

Israeli airstrike and chemical and depleted uranium weapon claims join Syria war mix, Red Cross wants to clear Syria war dead, dozens killed in Bangladesh protests against ‘atheist bloggers,’ at least 15 dead in Pakistan political rally bombing, Afghanistan threatening Pakistan, deadly bombings rock Baghdad, world’s top economies had a bad April, and there’s a new ‘clap’ that’s worse than AIDS.

Featuring writing from past This is Hell! guests Uri Avnery, Phyllis Bennis, Frida Berrigan, Glenn Greenwald, Naomi Klein, John Nichols, Greg Palast, Sarah Posner, and Stephen Zunes.

Podcast for May 4, 2013 [ 3:04:55 | 99.1 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (964)

Middle East correspondent at The Economist Sarah Birke on Syria.
Worker rights activist Charles Kernaghan discusses the Bangladesh garment factory disaster.
Anthropologist Robin Nagle goes “On the Streets and Behind the Trucks with the Sanitation Workers of New York City.”
Psychologist Roland Weierstall describes, “The peculiar psychology of war likely holds answers for avoiding future atrocities.”
FAIR’s Jim Naureckas gives a ‘Bulletin to the Head’ with his media criticism.
Susan Kang, ‘The Solidarity Bitch,’ talks labor.
Elvis DeMorrow skulks into the Konspiracy Korner to find what the Boston bombing has left behind.
Jeff Dorchen delivers a Moment of Truth from Kerala, India.

The week can’t end soon enough.

Bangladesh garment factory deaths exceed 500, Benazir Bhutto assassination prosecutor assassinated, protests lead Guatemala to declare “state of emergency,” new allegations of executions in Syrian war, journalists targeted by both sides in Syria war, Burma’s Muslim “minority” prepares for more attacks by Buddhists, Israel finally releases Palestinian hunger strikers, 900+ arrested in China meat scandal, Japan gets back into the nuclear technology export game, and experts are always wrong in predicting Eurozone turnaround.

A big rubber duck trumps April being Iraq’s deadliest month since 2008.

Iraq’s most deadly month in five years, Somali famine kills 260,000, Saudi Arabia’s deadly new SARS-like virus, Darfur gold mine collapse kills 60, six die in Muslim attack on Buddhists, drone killings replace Guantanamo detention, White House warned about dangers of global warming, Assad making gains in civil war, and police stop Greek ‘thugs’ from handing out food.

Thinking is bad for ratings.

Iraq violence escalating, Al Qaeda-linked militants makes threats following Somali executions, Taliban kills member of Afghan peace council, deadly bomb rocks Dagestan, Amnesty says Sri Lanka is cracking down on critics, China bird flu cases increase, anti-austerity protests throughout Europe, and Pope calls Bangladeshi garment workers “slave labor.”

Boston Rules!

Damascus bombing, Afghanistan explosion, Israeli-Palestinian killings return, Burma’s anti-Muslim violence, gunmen surround Libyan government offices, getting more difficult to deliver Syrian food aid, Egypt walks out of non-proliferation talks, medical personnel rushing to Guantanamo hunger strikers’ aid, and BP records huge profits and big safety problems.