Democracy Now! Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Democracy Now! delivers a comprehensive report on the escalating global crisis following 61 days of U.S.-Israeli military action against Iran, highlighting the breakdown in diplomatic efforts and the strategic shift by Iran to assert its own terms for ending the conflict. Jeremy Scahill of DropSite News reveals that Iran is not seeking negotiations on U.S. terms but is instead building a new regional alliance with Russia, Pakistan, and China, while expanding trade routes to bypass U.S. blockades. The episode exposes how Trump’s aggressive rhetoric and false claims about Iran’s collapse have failed to sway markets or international opinion, with even allies like Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz openly criticizing the U.S. strategy as a humiliating failure. Meanwhile, the UAE’s exit from OPEC signals a major shift in global oil dynamics, accelerating momentum toward a clean energy transition. Akshat Rathi of Bloomberg underscores that developing nations are now leading the charge in renewable adoption due to affordability and energy independence, despite ongoing fossil fuel wars. In a separate investigation, Mother Jones reporter Nate Halverson reveals the alarming expansion of glyphosate (Roundup) use in U.S. forests, driven by Trump-era policies that shield Bayer from liability and prioritize timber production over public health and environmental safety, despite overwhelming evidence linking the chemical to cancer and ecological harm.