Living in the USA

Republican Senate candidate and current Florida Gov, Rick Scott challenged Trump today on Puerto Rico casualty figures; SCOTUS nominee Kavanaugh has been accused of sexual misconduct, and, measuring the Blue Wave now that Obama has joined the campaign — Harold Meyerson with the political update. Next, Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress, has quit the House to run for state Attorney General. What was he thinking? David Dayen reports. Plus: Unions are fighting for their lives and DeVos wants to put more guns in schools — we talk with Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation for Teachers about the state of education.

In a dramatic showdown on the floor of the Senate, the third day of hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. released documents deemed 'committee confidential' — and, last Tuesday, Boston city councilor Ayanna Pressley unseated 10-term US Rep. Michael Capuano in a Democratic primary — John Nichols with the political update. Also, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Miriam Pawel on Jerry Brown's fight against climate change--and Donald Trump. Her new book is “The Browns of California: The Family that Transformed a State and Shaped a Nation.” Finally — Melania Trump: Hero of the people, or accomplice of evil? We turn to Amy Wilentz for comment.

After 40 years as an investigative journalist, Judith Coburn became a private investigator. We talk with her about Surveillance Capitalism in the Age of Trump. Next, Florida's general election for governor will feature two candidates who could not be more different: Andrew Gillum, a black progressive, and Ron DeSantis, "a fully 'Trumpacized'" conservative -- John Nichols reports. Plus: We might have reached peak-Trump, but Gary Younge says, "if Dems want to win, they've got to motivate their base."

Trump's attorney Micheal Cohen has pled guilty to many crimes of bank fraud and tax fraud but there were two really significant ones: payments of hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels (real name, Stephanie Clifford) and Playboy model Karen McDougal -- on orders of the president. Harold Meyerson of The American Prospect comments. Also: Around the world, mothers and pregnant women are undervalued, discriminated against, and punished -- we talk with Katha Pollitt about why and how. Plus: Farah Griffin of Columbia University comments on Aretha and Angela, and Aretha and Obama.

Amy Wilentz comments on the mental and emotional status of the president, as analyzed by 27 psychiatrists in 'The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump,' a book edited by Bandy X. Lee. The book was number four on the New York Times bestseller list. Also: Would Pence be worse? Jane Mayer of The New Yorker reports—she interviewed more than 60 people in search of answers, including Pence’s mother. Several say he’s wanted to be president at least since high school. Plus: America After Trump: E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post argues that Trump has mobilized progressive political forces that can transform America—and he reminds us that Trump never had a majority of voters, and is the most unpopular presidents in our history. E.J. is co-author of 'One Nation After Trump: A Guide to the Perplexed, the Disillusioned, the Desperate, and the Not-Yet-Deported'--it's out now in paperback.

Left politics can win all over the country, not just in New York City and Chicago and LA – that’s what Mike Lux says, he’s a longtime strategist for the progressive movement and Democratic candidates, and his new book is “How to Democrat in the Age of Trump.” Katha Pollitt is not happy with leftists calling Trump a “fascist” – maybe there’s a better term for his attacks on democracy, which have a lot in common with authoritarian leaders in Russia, Turkey, Egypt, Hungary, Poland, and other places. The foundation for all of them: austerity, pushed by the big banks and right-wing parties, which creates the economic anxiety that fuels racism and anti-immigrant sentiment.

August 1968, 50 years ago: fighting the police outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, while the whole world was watching: it was the culmination of an overwhelming year for the anti-war movement. But where was young Donald Trump? Activist, sociologist and author of "The Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage," Todd Gitlin, comments on politics then -- and now. Plus, John Nichols says the age of Trump is NOT a golden age for American journalism -- cutbacks and mass layoffs have crippled our news media, just when we need them the most.

Pulitzer prize-winning restaurant critic Jonathan Gold died July 21; Harold Meyerson talks about how he taught readers in LA about the new immigrant city around them--by exploring immigrant neighborhoods and their restaurants. Harold also reviews Trump world after Trump's worst week. Also Tom Frank explains how we got from Obama to Trump -- his new book is “Rendezvous with Oblivion." Plus Bob Zaugh tells amazing and true stories about the LA draft resistance movement in the Vietnam era. He helped organize the exhibit, "We Won't Go: The L.A. Resistance, Vietnam and the Draft," on view at the Getty Gallery of the Central Library in Downtown Los Angeles until August 19th. Exhibit details here: https://bit.ly/2uq5iee

Harold Meyerson of The American Prospect analyzes Trump’s tumultuous post-Putin week, perhaps a turning point for Republicans--at least some Republicans. Also: Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of the Law School at UC Berkeley, talks about the worst things about Brett Kavanaugh, and about his greatest vulnerabilities in the upcoming confirmation hearings for Trump’s Supreme Court nominee. Plus: Does your job make a meaningful contribution to society? David Graeber posted that question on the internet – a million people clicked on it, and many posted answers. Now his book about those answers is out – it’s called ‘B.S. Jobs,’ and it casts dramatic light on our economy and politics.

Laurent Dubois, author of "The Language of the Game: How to Understand Soccer," and Alan Minsky, KPFK Program Director, and founding member of the People's Game Football Collective, join guest-host Amy Wilentz to explore the world of the World Cup. Plus: Jeff Wasserstrom, American historian of modern China and Professor of History at the University of California, Irvine, talks about Xi Jinping, Trump and China today. Last, we speak with James North, author of "Freedom Rising, a first-hand look at apartheid South Africa," about the trouble in Haiti--not random violence, but focused on elite targets.

The Supreme Court gave the green light to anti-abortion 'pregnancy crisis centers' in California, and the campaign to overturn Roe v. Wade is under way -- we talk with Katha Pollitt about the future of abortion rights with Trump's Supreme Court. Next up, David Cole, Legal Director of the ACLU talks about voting rights and the ACLU in the age of Trump--and says "vote like your rights depended on it." Finally: Trump in June: the bad, the ugly, and the merely inexplicable -- Amy Wilentz joins us in-studio.

The only Republican in the House from LA County, Steve Knight, is facing a strong challenge from first-time Democrat Katie Hill. He's against Obamacare; she's for Medicare for All -- and her chances look good. Dana Goodyear of the New Yorker reports. Plus: Despite Trump's reversal on family separation at the border, the crisis continues. Sonia Nazario, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author of "Enrique's Journey," a book that detailed experiences of Latin American children immigrating to the US, joins us today to talk about Trump's fake news, the experiences of migrants, and how we might improve family detention while people are waiting for their asylum hearings. Also: a really bad week at the Supreme Court Unions: for unions, for stopping gerrymandering, and for replacing Justice Anthony Kennedy: Harold Meyerson of the American Prospect reports on what we should do now.

Over 11,000 immigrant children are being held in detention centers across the US: Harold Meyerson of The American Prospect comments on the political disaster for Trump of his family separation policy; Zoe Carpenter of The Nation reports on the inside of a Border Patrol children's detention center in Texas--and the uncertainities those children now face; and Ahilan Arulanatham, Legal Director of the ACLU of Southern California, has the latest on family detention litigation--and what people can do to help.

Seymour Hersh won a Pulitzer Prize in 1970 for his expose of the My Lai massacre—he was a 33-year-old freelancer at the time. Since then, he’s won pretty much every other journalism award. He’s worked as a staff writer for The New York Times and The New Yorker. He’s also written a dozen books, most recently Reporter: A Memoir. Plus: Since Trump took office, the Democrats have flipped 44 state legislative seats. What's next for the Democrats? John Nichols reports.

Trump asked for, and got, a ten percent increase in defense spending this year – even though the American military is the most massive, the most technologically advanced, and the best-funded fighting force in the world. But in the last fifteen years of constant war it has won nothing. Tom Engelhardt comments; he’s the legendary editor who created and runs the TomDispatch website, and his new book is “A Nation Unmade by War.” Plus: Trump and Syrian refugees: During Obama’s last year, about 10,000 were admitted to the US; so far this year, the number is eleven. Wendy Pearlman explains – she interviewed hundreds of Syrian refugees across the Middle East and Europe. Her new book is “We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria."

After reviewing Trump’s growing confrontation with Europe, Yanis Varouvakis concludes that 'Trump Isn’t Stupid.' Yanis is a former finance minister of Greece who took office in 2015, after five years of debt crisis and economic and social decline had left half the country’s young people unemployed. Greece at that point elected the most radical coalition to govern a European country in decades. Yanis became a European-wide celebrity when he resisted the demands of Europe’s bankers for austerity as Greece held out for restructuring its debt, --But then the government submitted and Yanis left office. Now he has co-founded an international grassroots movement that is campaign for the revival of democracy in Europe. He’s written many books, most recently “Adults in the Room” and “Talking to my Daughter About the Economy—or, How Capitalism works—and how it fails.” Also: there are 219,000 women in prison in the United States -- Rachel Kushner’s new novel, “The Mars Room,” is a story about of one of them. She’ll be in-studio to talk about it.

Is Trump crazy? Amy Wilentz talks about 'The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump,' a book edited by Bandy X. Lee, in which 27 psychiatrists and mental-health experts give their assessments of the president. The book was number four on the New York Times bestseller list. Also: Trump and the NRA: at the beginning of the 2016 campaign, Trump's status as a gun person was uncertain -- but he succeed in transforming himself during the campaign. The Nation's George Zornick reports (recorded after the Las Vegas shootings).

Trump’s plan on pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal is to pressure Iran to restart negotiations on terms more favorable to the US—but that’s never going to happen, says Michael Klare. And Trump has no Plan B – except for war—which could quickly involve Israel fighting in Lebanon against Iran’s ally Hezbollah, which has thousands of rockets aimed at Israeli cities. Also: the coming showdown in Texas between populist Democrats and establishment Democrats: D. D. Guttenplan has returned from the Lone Star State with a report on the political transformation underway there.

The amazing news from Korea about the prospects for peace and de-nuclearization: historian Bruce Cumings of the University of Chicago comments, warning that the Washington consensus opposes a treaty. His books include “The Korean War: A History” and “North Korea: Another Country.” Plus: Trump’s greatest vulnerability may not be Russiagate, but rather his financial and tax crimes. David Cay Johnston has been investigating and reporting on Trump’s finances for nearly 30 years. He won a Pulitzer Prize at The New York Times, and now he’s editor-in-chief of DCReport.org.

Full Employment is emerging as a key component of Democratic platforms — Harold Meyerson talks about the history and the prospect of a new "Jobs for All" program. Plus, the Trump re-election nightmare could come true — Tom Frank talks about why (it's the economy!) and how we can stop it. Lastly, Mueller's Questions and Trump's Answers: Bob Dreyfuss of the Nation comments on the changing story about paying Stormy Daniels, and about Trump's options in the face of the release of Mueller's questions for him.

on Wed. April 25 the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the Travel Ban 3.0 case (Trump v. Hawaii) — David Cole, National Legal Director of the ACLU, for comments. Plus, the legendary Washington political journalist and author of “Washington Journal: Reporting Watergate and Richard Nixon's Downfall,” Elizabeth Drew, reviews "A Higher Loyalty," by James Comey. Lastly, it has been 50 years since Columbia '68 — Mark Rudd, political organizer, mathematics instructor, anti-war activist and onetime member of the Weather Underground, shares his lessons for the left: "build the base!"

Viet Thanh Nguyen talks about being a refugee in the US—he has edited a new collection, "The Displaced: Refugee Writers on Refugee Lives," published by Abrams Books. Plus, Harold Meyerson on California v. Trump (29 lawsuits and counting), the teacher's strike, and more. Lastly, Margaret Atwood on her book, "The Handmaid's Tale," now a TV series—season two premieres on April 25th.

Paul Ryan calls it quits: Why now? John Nichols comments. Plus, Adam Winkler on the civil rights of corporations, and what they mean in this time of Trump; his new book, "We the Corporations: How American Businesses Won Their Civil Rights," was published earlier this year. Lastly, Mark Hertsgaard on cellphones, cancer and his new article for The Nation: "How Big Wireless Made Us Think That Cell Phones Are Safe: A Special Investigation."

Adam Hochschild talks about his visit to a gun show, the NRA, the Koch brothers, and gun laws in America — his new piece, "Bang for the Buck," is in the latest issue of the New York Review of Books. Next, Trump made his first statement on Stormy Daniels today — we turn to Joshua Holland of The Nation (our Chief Stormy Correspondent) for the update. Lastly, yesterday was the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — Tavis Smiley talks about his last days and his legacy.

Harold Meyerson comments on Trump's attack of Amazon, the prospect of a Trump re-election, the new model for unions after the Janus v. AFSCME case, and much more — his new article, "What Now for Unions" is out now in The American Prospect. Next, we ask Amy Wilentz, should Ivanka be indicted? She describes the "grotesque abuse of power" that is the Trump Kleptocracy. Lastly, Katha Pollitt says, it's time to "get real about Russiagate."

John Nichols with Breaking News from Wisconsin: trade policy, tech, and a victory for voting rights — you can read more in, "Scott Walker Is Ordered to Stop Blocking Special Elections," his new piece published today, in the Nation. Also today: the 10th anniversary of "Men Explain Things To Me," we hear the backstory firsthand from the author, Rebecca Solnit. Lastly, Chris Hayes on Trump, Crime and his new book, "A Colony in a Nation," out now in paperback from W. W. Norton & Company.

David Corn on Trump, Putin and his new book, "Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putin's War on America and the Election of Donald Trump." Plus: Is Disneyland really the happiest place on earth? Peter Dreier says, "Not if you work there." Dreier, Professor of Political Science at Occidental College, was part of the research team behind, "Working for the Mouse: A Survey of Disneyland Resort Employees," an Economic Roundtable report released February, 2018. Lastly, March 16, marks the 50th anniversary of the My Lai massacre; we talk with Hugh Thompson, the pilot who put an end to the killing that day fifty years ago.

The mass shooting at that high school in Parkland, Florida is still in the news, because of the brilliant political work being done by the students who survived. George Zornick analyzes the big picture: the decline of the gun industry, the growth in popular support for an assault weapons ban, and campaigns to shame companies that support the NRA and haven't divested from gun manufacturers. Plus: Last week the supreme court heard a case that could cripple public-sector unions, some of the last strong unions in America. Jane McAlevey talks about Janus v. AFSCME and what the unions need to do to recover the ground they have lost.

Amazon is a radically new kind of monopoly that seeks to control all of online commerce. Stacy Mitchell says it’s time for anti-trust action to separate the Amazon Marketplace from Amazon’s own retail operations. Also: Why have wages stagnated since the seventies? Bryce Covert says one reason is the mandatory noncompete and no-poaching agreements that prevent low-wage workers from taking better-paying jobs. California, Oklahoma and North Dakota have made them unenforceable; the rest of the states should do the same.

Senator Elizabeth Warren wants to make the fight against monopoly power in America a key part of the Democrats’ agenda; George Zornick reports on his interview with her for the magazine’s special issue on the topic. Also, Warren Buffett’s secret: “The sage of Omaha” is America’s favorite tycoon. He supported Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for president; even Bernie Sanders has praised his unselfishness. But David Dayen says Warren Buffett’s wealth has actually been built on monopoly power—and the unfair advantages it provides.

Here comes the next financial crisis: maybe not this week, but eventually—and Republican deregulation, undermining the institutions designed to protect us, will make it much worse. Nomi Prins explains. Plus: Remember when Trump said we should get fewer immigrants from “shithole countries,” and more from places like Norway? Ann Jones lived in Norway for four years; she explains what Norwegians might bring to the US if they did come: a commitment to equality in health care, education, and a dozen other necessities.

Gary Younge traveled from Maine to Mississippi interviewing Trump’s white working-class supporters. He found anxiety, pain, and a loss of hope. For many, he concludes, “Whiteness is all they’ve got.” Plus, Amy Wilentz talks about Ivana Trump’s new memoir, ‘Raising Trump’—stories about Don Jr., Ivanka, and little Eric, and their mom and dad. It’s like a reality show about “Real Housewives of Trump Tower.”

Trump’s not on the ballot this year, but that’s not stopping Democratic women from running against him in races across the country. John Nichols reports on recent Democratic victories where female candidates in special elections in state races flipped formerly Republican seats—they show how to do it in the mid-term elections in November. Also: Fortress America is crumbling—the rise of China started long before Trump, but he’s alienated allies and abandoned alliances in a way that may now make the process irreversible. Alfred McCoy explains.

Since Trump took office a year ago, Katha Pollitt says, women have been unleashing decades of pent-up anger: starting with the Women’s March, then in some amazing political victories, and in the #MeToo movement. But Trump has also shown how terrible the loss of the White House has been. Also: David Bromwich says there are no surprises with Trump: he’s been the same for decades, a “wounded monster” with a history of racism and a contempt for people he considers “losers.” But defeating him requires more than an issue—it has to be a cause.

Trump has targeted California, the biggest blue state, with his tax and immigration policies, but the state has been resisting—and some vulnerable Republican House members have been withdrawing from their reelection races. Harold Meyerson of The American Prospect comments. Plus: Father Greg Boyle of Los Angeles talks about his amazing work with former gang members—he’s the founder and head of Homeboy Industries, the biggest and best job training and reentry program in America for previously incarcerated men and women. His new book is Barking to the Choir.

Historian Linda Gordon talks about the KKK of the 1920s, and the arrest of Fred Trump, father of the president, at a Klan march in New York City in 1927. her new book is "The Second Coming of the KKK." Also, historian Nancy MacLean talks about the roots of the right's stealth plan for America, a bringing together of libertarian economic theory and segregationist opposition to civil rights. Her new book is "Democracy in Chains" - it was named the "most valuable political book of 2017" on The Nation's progressive honor roll.

Our year-in-review show starts with Katha Pollitt on #MeToo, from Bill O'Reilly to Al Franken. Katha of course is a columnist for The Nation. Also: Alabama was the state with the most remarkable political year. Howell Raines, the legendary Alabama journalist, reviews the year, starting with Jeff Sessions's appointment as attorney general and ending with his replacement by the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Alabama in 30 years.

Gary Younge traveled from Maine to Mississippi interviewing Trump’s white working-class supporters. He found anxiety, pain, and a loss of hope. For many, he concludes, “Whiteness is all they’ve got.” Plus, Amy Wilentz talks about Ivana Trump’s new memoir, 'Raising Trump'—stories about Don Jr., Ivanka, and little Eric, and their mom and dad. It’s like a reality show about “Real Housewives of Trump Tower.”

For our year-in-review show, we turn to John Nichols, The Nation magazine's National Affairs Correspondent, who highlights the Resistance in 2017. His Progressive Honor Roll for the year appears at TheNation.com.

Two ways to interview a Nazi: on the one hand, The New York Times recently did a profile of “the Nazi next door,” portraying him as an ordinary guy; on the other, Gary Younge confronted Richard Spencer, America’s leading white supremacist, on video. With Gary’s help, we compare and contrast the two approaches.

Jane Mayer of The New Yorker reports on Mike Pence's family, his life, and his lifelong ambition to be president.

"Raising Trump" is Ivana's new book about Don Jr., Ivanka, Jared and little Eric—Amy Wilentz says it's not your typical child-raising advice book. Plus: The GOP tax bill in the Senate: Harold Meyerson brings us the bad news. And historian Linda Gordon on the arrest of Fred Trump (Donald Trump's Father) at a KKK rally in 1927, and, her new book: "The Second Coming of the KKK: The Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s and the American Political Tradition”

The legendary journalist Howell Raines reports from Alabama on the continuing Republican support for Roy Moore, the Senate candidate accused of molesting a 14-year-old and sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl. Meanwhile, his Democratic opponent, the heroic civil-rights attorney Doug Jones, is running “the most vigorous Democratic campaign that’s been waged in Alabama in at least 30 years.” Also, Trump and the bomb: We’re hoping the generals keep him from doing anything crazy, like starting a nuclear war with North Korea—but the system is set up to give the president control over nuclear weapons, rather than the military. Adam Shatz explains--he wrote about Trump and the bomb for the London Review of Books.

Trump Year One: the Resistance & the ACLU, David Cole reports--voting rights, the travel ban, and more. Plus: The GOP tax bill just got worse, Harold Meyerson explains what happened in the House; plus Your Minnesota Moment: Al Franken apologizes. Also: Steve Ross talks about his new book "Hitler in LA: How Jews foiled Nazi Plots Against Hollywood and America".

The Democratic triumph in Tuesday's Virginia election and its implications for 2018--Harold Meyerson comments, also: what the Democrats should do on tax policy. Plus: Katha Pollitt on anger management, one year after Trump was elected; And: New York City--it's Trump's home, and it's also the antithesis of Trump. Comment from Mike Wallace--he won the Pulitzer Prize in History in 1999 for "Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898" and has authored a follow up, it's called "Greater Gotham: A History of NYC 1898-1919".

Amy Wilentz joins us live in-studio to talk about the Trump family troubles around the indictments; Plus, John Nichols talks about what's in the House tax bill.

America After Trump: E.J. Dionne argues that Trump has mobilized progressive political forces that can transform America—and he reminds us that Trump never had a majority of voters, and is the most unpopular presidents in our history. E.J. is co-author of "One Nation After Trump: A Guide to the Perplexed, the Disillusioned, the Desperate, and the Not-Yet-Deported." Also: Why are Trump voters so angry? Historian Steve Hahn examines explanations of white working class rage, starting with the monster bestseller “Hillbilly Elegy” by J.D. Vance, which has spent more than a year on the best-seller list. Also: “White Rage” by Carol Anderson, and Justin Gest’s book “The New Minority: White Working Class Politics in an Age of immigration and Inequality.”

Ai WeiWei, the most famous political artist in the world, talks about his new documentary on global refugee crisis. It's called “Human Flow” --it opens in LA Friday Oct 20. Plus: Amy Wilentz on 'The Children's Hour': Ivanka, Jared, and Don Jr.

Is Trump Crazy? The Psychiatrists speak in "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump" by Bandy Lee, MD -- Amy Wilentz comments: do psychiatrists have a "duty to warn"? Plus: Trump and the NRA after the Las Vegas shootings, George Zornick comments.

Sasha Abramsky talks about Trump and the triumph of fear -- his new book is “Jumping at Shadows: The Triumph of Fear and the End of the American Dream.” Also: Pundits say the three former generals on Trump's staff are "the adults in the room" who will block him from doing his worst. John Nichols isn't so sure about that -- the generals are featured in his book "Horsemen of the Trumpocalypse." And, for something completely different: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy. One of the darkest days at the end of what we call “the sixties” came on Sept. 9, 1971, after 1,300 prisoners at the Attica Correctional Facility in upstate New York rebelled -- to protest years of mistreatment. The true story of what happened at Attica was covered up by officials for decades. but now, 47 years later, we finally know the true story, thanks Heather Ann Thompson.