Living in the USA

At 100 days, Trump's approval ratings are his worst yet – starting with Pew Research poll 40% approve 59% disapprove. And Trump has the worst ratings of any other president approaching the 100 day mark in history – Harold Meyerson comments.Also: J D Vance said it most clearly: for the Trump people, “The universities are the enemy.” That's why Trump is cutting billions of federal funding and making impossible demands that threaten dozens of universities. But universities have begun to resist. Michael Roth comments – he's president of Wesleyan, and was the first university president to speak out against Trump's attacks.Plus: 62 years ago this week, in April, 1963, the Birmingham civil rights campaign directed by Martin Luther King was reaching a climax. April 7, Palm Sunday, police used dogs to attack Black people at a march. the dramatic photos appeared on front pages around the world. Then, 4 Black girls were killed at a church bombing, and then Congress passed the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Diane McWhorter wrote the definitive history of that crucial campaign–her book is called “Carry Me Home: Birmingham, Alabama, the climatic battle of the civil rights revolution.” (broadcast originally in 2001.)

The Fighting Oligarchy tour of Bernie Sanders and AOC has had amazing turnouts: 36,000 people in Los Angeles, 100,000 people in Coachella, and huge crowds in red districts across the country; followed by big campaign donations as Bernie and AOC become "the personification of the resistance" against the Trump administration. Also, Trump continues to defy court orders, including those issued after the unanimous Supreme Court ruling to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the US from El Salvador after an illegal deportation – the defiance of such a court order by a US president is the first of its kind in history – Harold Meyerson comments.Next: While Trump's attacks on the universities have broadened, and while Columbia is submitting to his requirements, Harvard's president has declared that Harvard will not comply with Trump's demands in exchange for keeping its federal funding. David Cole comments - he recently stepped down as National Legal Director of the ACLU to return to teaching law at Georgetown.Plus: The illegal detention of Palestinian students attending US universities: the detention of Mohsen Madawi seems to be the most outrageous of all the cases of detained students opposing Israel's war in Gaza; UCLA Professor of Jewish History David Meyers reports.

Trump is weaker after caving on tariffs - Harold Meyerson analyzes the new political landscape - and assesses the economic damage.Also: Trump's tariffs are not really about trade, they're a form of blackmail – but the alternative is not a return to the free trade policies introduced by Clinton and Obama. Lori Wallach of the Rethink Trade program at the American Economic Liberties Project explains what kind of tariffs we need, combined with government support for reindustrialization.Plus: A major lawsuit challenging Trump over his efforts to deport pro-Gaza campus activists has been brought by faculty members at their universities. Jameel Jaffer reports on the AAUP case; he's executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and a former deputy legal director of the ACLU.

Last Tuesday, the Democrats made striking gains in districts that were solid red – and Wisconsin's State Supreme Court maintained its liberal majority. Meanwhile, Trump claims that his sweeping tariffs are to restore US manufacturing; but Paul Krugman says it's all based on ridiculous, totally false statistics – Harold Meyerson comments.Also: The Wisconsin Supreme Court election tested the political power of Musk's money, and voters rejected his candidate. The results have huge implications for the midterms. John Nichols has our analysis.Plus: A big victory in federal district court: Trump cannot shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – and, April 5th will be Hands Off! – a National Day of Action to stand up against the Trump administration – Rob Weissman of Public Citizen will explain.

Thursday night, Trump signed an Executive order abolishing union rights at more than two dozen federal agencies – part of his campaign to destroy the government. Harold Meyerson comments on this "ultimate form of union busting".Also: Bernie Sanders and AOC are on their “fighting oligarchy” tour, and in Denver last weekend they had the biggest political event there since Obama in 2008. It was also the biggest rally of Bernie's life – bigger than anything in his presidential campaigns. And the first big election of the year is underway in Wisconsin. John Nichols has our analysis. Plus: Elie Mystal talks about popular laws that are ruining America – starting with our voter registration requirements. But despite the obstacles and disappointments, he argues that it's always necessary to vote. His new book is Bad Laws.

A key source of opposition to authoritarian regimes in recent history has come from universities and colleges. Trump has been attacking the independence of American universities, demanding they submit to his requirements and using massive funding cuts as his weapon. David Cole, formerly National Legal Director of the ACLU, has our analysis. Also: Mahmoud Khalil is the Palestinian student activist at Columbia arrested and jailed by ICE. The Trump administration intends to revoke his status as a permanent resident—a green-card holder – and deport him – they say, to protect Jewish students on campus. That's clearly a violation of freedom of speech. But is deporting Palestinian student activists a good way to protect Jewish students? David Myers comments – he teaches Jewish history at UCLA.Plus: Katha Pollitt comments on The Right to Sex, a provocative title by the feminist philosopher Amia Srinivasan. Does anyone have a right to sex? Who does? Who doesn't? (First recorded 2-3-2022)

As the Senate prepares to vote on the Republican budget, Harold Meyerson talks about what's at stake for Democrats who join Chuck Schumer in voting with Republicans, and the great majority in the opposition. Plus: unions take Trump to court over firings.Also: The Supreme Court ruled against Trump last week in the first test of his refusal to release money appropriated by Congress, and more than a dozen more similar cases are likely to come before the court –– probably including a challenge to his withholding hundreds of millions from research universities on the grounds that they have failed to protect Jewish students from antisemitism. Erwin Chemerinsky comments –– he's dean of the Law School at UC Berkeley.Plus: from the archives: Oliver Sacks recalls Tripping in Topanga (recorded in 2012, he died three years later).

Trump's forgettable State of the Union speech shows he remains in campaign mode, rather than governing: Harold Meyerson comments.Plus: Trump suffered a big loss at The Supreme Court in the first challenge to his unconstitutional seizure of power: an order to release USAID funding appropriated by Congress. The suit was brought by Public Citizen; their co-president, Robert Weissman, will explain.Also: John Nichols with our protest update for the week. Topics include: includes Tesla dealer showroom picketing; Ukraine support demonstrating; national park protesting, and Town Hall yelling.

"The Coup Has Failed" writes David Dayen in The American Prospect; no president has been less popular than Trump after his first month in office, and "the thing about populism is you have to be popular" – Harold Meyerson comments. Also: House Progressive leader Ro Khanna says “economic empowerment” for the working class should become the Democrats' “defining cause.” And he comments on this week's battle in the House over the Republican budget.Plus: Thomas Geoghegan argues that, to win back the working class, Democrats need to “promise something big – and keep it simple.” His suggestions: a bigger and better Social Security program, and an end to employers' freedom to fire workers for any reason.

The House budget plan could see deep cuts to Medicaid but, "the political basis for cutting Medicaid because 'this can only hurt the Democrats' is really no longer the case;" also, on Kash Patel's confirmation as the new director of the FBI: "there's nothing like reconfiguring the FBI so it carries out whatever Donald Trump wants, which is what Kash Patel would do" – Harold Meyerson has our political update.Plus: The first big election of 2025 will be in Wisconsin, which elects a new Supreme Court Justice on April 1. Elon Musk is spending hundreds of millions in that race. That's both a threat, and an opportunity for Democrats. John Nichols will comment.

Churches are coming together to fight Trump – the lawsuit filed challenges ICE raids in places of worship on First Amendment Freedom of Religion grounds. Also, what does it tell us that both Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins voted 'Yes' for two terrible Trump nominees (Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr.) when they didn't have to? Harold Meyerson comments.Plus: Trump has lost a series of major legal battles in the last week, where courts have ruled that key executive orders of his are unconstitutional. But what happens if Trump defies the courts? David Cole comments—he recently stepped down as national legal director of the ACLU to return to teaching law at Georgetown University.

The Democrats have become more active in trying to stop the worst of Trump - and Musk - Harold Meyerson of The American Prospect comments on Senate and House leaders - and on the recent administration attacks on the NLRB.Also: Trump's strategy of flooding the zone with executive actions is intended to paralyze the opposition. But there's lots of grassroots mobilization underway right now, and one of the biggest organizers of that mobilization is Indivisible. Leah Greenberg will explain the group's strategy and tactics -- and this week's work assignments -- to get four Republicans to vote “No” on Trump's terrible nominees. Leah is one of the co-founders and co-executive directors of Indivisible.

This week's popular outrage over Trump's stopping funding of all social programs forced him to throw in the towel after just a few hours - demonstrating how weak he is, and how powerful the opposition can be. John Nichols comments.Also: The battle to get us to pay attention: Chris Hayes explains--His new book is "The Siren's Call."Plus: Your Minnesota Moment - Trump attacks small town sanctuaries for undocumented residents.

How did we get here, with Trump returning to the White House? Harold Meyerson of The American Prospect comments on the 93 million people who could have voted – but didn't –and on Trump's Day One executive orders.Also: Now that Trump is preparing to round up and deport undocumented residents, we want to thank them for everything they've done to make America good. Gustavo Arellano will explain – he's a columnist for the LA Times whose father came to the US in the 1960s in the trunk of a Chevy.Plus: Twenty Minutes without Trump. Today: J. Edgar Hoover: We know a lot about the bad things he did, but it turns out there's a lot we didn't know. Historian Beverly Gage will explain. Her award-winning book is “G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover & the Making of the American Century.” (originally broadcast in December, 2022.)

As we prepare for Trump to take office next week, we're getting ready to challenge him and his people in the upcoming elections later this year. But before that, we have an important election in the next few weeks: the Democratic National Committee will elect a new chair on February 1 to prepare for the battles and the campaigns to come – John Nichols comments.Also: Trump promises to deport millions of undocumented residents, while Republicans in Congress threaten a nationwide abortion ban. Meanwhile parts of the mainstream media are caving in to Trump. How can individuals help at this point? Katha Pollit has some suggestions about groups that deserve support.Plus: Not everything is about Donald Trump. The Geneva Freeport, for example – where it doesn't matter who is president of the US. The Freeport is a place where the world's richest people hide art, jewelry, and other wealth from tax officials, creditors, and sometimes spouses. Atossa Araxia Abrahamian discusses her new book: “The Hidden Globe: How Wealth Hacks the World.”

Trump has come out in favor of combining many of his biggest priorities into one big budget reconciliation bill – because the budget reconciliation impacts the economy, this bill is not subject to filibuster by the Democrats; so, it could pass the Senate with 50 Republican votes. But some Republicans are likely to resist – Harold Meyerson comments. Also: Trump's “dictatorship on day one” will feature executive orders to deport undocumented residents. Ahilan Arulanantham, co-director of the Center for Immigration Law & Policy at UCLA Law School, explains the legal strategy to be deployed by the sanctuary states and cities to challenge Trump's orders. Plus: Trump & Golf: The Saudi-backed LIV golf league will return to Trump's Doral Resort in April 2025 – the clearest sign yet that Trump family business deals using Saudi government financing will continue into the new presidency. The legendary sportswriter Robert Lipsyte comments on Trump and golf. (broadcast originally in August 2017)

A fight has broken out between Elon Musk and the MAGA activists and base about immigration – specifically, over H-1B visas. But what exactly IS an H-1B visa; and why is there so much heat around the issue? Harold Meyerson comments.Also: Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation's famous 900 page book, is partly “too dumb to accomplish anything at all”– the rest, can be read as a useful catalog of how we should focus our resistance – Rick Perlstein explains.Plus: The ever-elusive Bob Dylan seems an unlikely candidate for a Hollywood biopic. John Powers, a critic-at-large on NPR's Fresh Air, talks about how the new movie "A Complete Unknown" captures a defining moment in his career and in American culture.

Donald Trump has been bad for America but good for American book publishers. Now that Trump is coming back we look at what the best of those books had to say about him, also, the worst: Also, Melania has published a memoir: “Melania,” where she revisits plagiarizing Michelle Obama for her 2016 RNC convention speech, and wearing that jacket that said “I don't care, do U?” when she visited INS detention camps for children separated from their parents at the border. Amy Wilentz comments on her explanations—and on the rest of the book. (Originally recorded 10-26-2024.)Next: Kamala Harris lost not because Democratic voters switched to Trump, Steve Phillips shows, but because of a massive failure of the Democrats to turn out their base. (Originally recorded 12-11-2024.) Plus: Joshua Holland explains why people in Denmark are so much happier than people in the USA. (Originally recorded 1-19-2023.)

Disney unions won the biggest ever back pay settlement, and Amazon drivers in the Southland are going on strike this week - Harold Meyerson reports on the class struggle in Southern California.Also: Bob Dylan fans have been puzzled and troubled by his Christmas album ever since he released it in 2009. To help figure out what Dylan was doing, we turn to Sean Wilentz. He's the official historian at BobDylan.com, and he also teaches history at Princeton. (Originally recorded in January, 2005.)​

Workers in Los Angeles and Wisconsin made major gains this week, while the NLRB is falling into Trump's hands, thanks to Joe Manchin & Kyrsten Sinema -- Harold Meyerson reports.Also: a new episode of “The Children's Hour,” Amy Wilentz reports on “Lives of the In-Laws”—Ivanka's father-in-law, and Tiffany's -- and comments also on the rise of Trump's daughter-in-law Lara, the wife of Eric.

The GOP majority in the House will be 217-to 215 Dems – for months, until special elections in April bring it up to 220. What are the odds odds that House Republicans will be 100% united when Trump sends them his key legislation? Harold Meyerson comments.Also: “Our worst enemy right now is not Trump himself, but fatalism about our ability to stop him.” That's what David Cole says – he recently stepped down as National Legal Director of the ACLU, after 8 years and hundreds of lawsuits against the first Trump administration.

Trump's terrible cabinet picks – what if the Democrats use these remaining two months to hold their own confirmation hirings? Also, are Democrats out of touch with the American people? Harold Meyerson comments.Also: A lot of people who voted for abortion rights referenda this year also voted for Trump. What were they thinking? How do they understand politics? Amy Littlefield spent election day in Amarillo, Texas, trying to find out. Plus: From the archives: Bob Dylan in 1964, when he was 23; Sean Wilentz, historian and author of a Grammy-nominated essay about Bob Dylan, comments (originally recorded in January, 2005).

Trump's initial nominees include Matt Gaetz for Attorney General – "the group that is probably most elated by this are his fellow Republican House members who hate his guts" – Harold Meyerson discusses Trump's crazy cabinet.Also: Hope does not mean saying ‘this is not bad,' Rebecca Solnit argues; it just means we will not give up—because we know that what we do matters, and we also know we've been surprised by good things we never expected.Plus: Melania has been absent from Trump's side; and, is reported to have no intention of living in the White House for Trump's second term; so, where ​IS Melania?​

Big Picture: Trump won a landslide in the electoral college and control of the Senate; control of the House is unclear at this point. So much good work went into fighting Trump; but, a majority of voters know who Trump is and chose him. So, how did we get here? And, what do we do next? Harold Meyerson comments. Also: John Nichols looks at the elections results: For starters: Trump got fewer votes than 4 years ago; 55% of voters in the CNN exit poll said he was “too extreme.”Plus: Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery and returned again and again to lead others north to freedom. Now her story is being told in a wonderful new book, with the wonderful title “Night Flyer” –​ the author is Harvard historian Tiya Miles​ (originally recorded June, 2024).

If Harris wins Pennsylvania – a predominately working-class state – she probably wins the election; so, what could be the most effective closing argument to convince working-class voters there to vote for Harris? New research by The Center for Working-Class Politics tested messages and found that the strongest one singles out corporations for raising prices — Harold Meyerson comments.Also: Melania has published a memoir, Melania, where she revisits plagiarizing Michelle Obama for her 2016 RNC convention speech, and wearing that jacket that said “I don't care, do U?” when she visited INS detention camps for children separated from their parents at the border. Amy Wilentz comments on her explanations—and on the rest of the book.Plus: Part of Michelle Obama's speech in Kalamazoo last weekend where she said "to the men who love us, let me just try to paint a picture of what it will feel like if America, the wealthiest nation on earth, keeps revoking basic care from its women; and how it will effect every single woman in your life"; and about Trump: "a vote for him is a vote against us."

World famous gambling and entertainment hub Las Vegas, Nevada is also home to one of the "the most politically potent" unions in the United States, representing hotel casino workers there: Culinary Union Local 226 -- Harold Meyerson traveled to Las Vegas to find out what this powerful union is doing to help "push Kamala over the top".Also: Latino and Black voters in swing states, we are told by the New York Times, are “drifting away from the Democrats.” But how good is the evidence here? Steve Phillips has our analysis.Plus: From the Archives: The final years of Martin Luther King Jr. -- Taylor Branch discusses his book At Canaan's Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-68 (originally recorded in March 2006).

One in six voters, pollsters say, are “still unsure of their choice.” What do people mean when they say they are “undecided”? Rick Perlstein says political writers have failed to understand the undecideds—and what Kamala might do to win their votes. Also: Democrat Marie Gleusenkamp Perez won a House seat in a Trump district, pointing the way for others. Marc Cooper analyzes her current reelection campaign in southwestern Washington State, starting from the fact that she's a working class woman in a rural area. Plus: Kamala's campaign is challenging the Republican conception of “freedom” as freedom from government regulation, advancing instead a positive conception of the government's ability to protect and expand freedom. Eric Foner explains the history, and significance, of this conflict.

Kamala has been showing up: from "Call Her Daddy" – a podcast popular among young woman, to "The Howard Stern Show" – popular among young men; to "The View" and "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" – Harold Meyerson comments on Kamala's media blitz.Also: The polls have had disastrous failures for decades, but people continue to focus on them; Rick Perlstein has a better idea: ‘don't follow polls—organize.'Plus: From the archives: The great Gail Collins of The New York Times op-ed page talks about the adventures of older women – and her book, “No Stopping Us Now” (first recorded in ​November 2019).

If the election were to happen today, polls point to 276 for Kamala; 262 for Trump. Also: The vice presidential debate – "Walz, who was plainly unaccustomed to dealing with such adept obfuscation, particularly when couched in Vance's one-night-only dulcet tones" writes Harold Meyerson in The Prospect; so, what did Walz win? Harold Meyerson comments.Next: John Nichols has been driving to places in Middle America where Trump has gotten big majorities in the past: Iowa and Nebraska, central and western Illinois, and southwestern Wisconsin, asking Democrats there about politics in their towns right now. He's on the podcast this week to discuss.Plus: Your Minnesota Moment – from the archives: Our interview with Al Franken, when Fox News sued him for the title of his book "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right" (first recorded in 2003).

The polls right now show Kamala would win the electoral college if the election were held today--Harold Meyerson comments. Also: Trump Media stock - it's sinking fast.Plus: Trump has canceled his plan to visit Springfield, Ohio, but his lie about Haitian immigrants there eating cats and dogs continues to ricochet around the American political world. Amy Wilentz comments.Also: The presidential election is the main political battle in America today, but Trump's followers have also been fighting for years to take over towns across the country. Sasha Abramsky reports on two exemplary battles. His new book is Chaos Comes Calling.

The Republican Party and the Trump Campaign have no field operations of their own doing door-to-door work - for the first time all of that has been outsourced to PACs with independent funding, and the largest, run by Elon Musk, has just fired the company doing its canvassing in Nevada and Arizona. Harold Meyerson comments.Also: Trump has made it clear he won't accept the results of the 2024 election if he loses, and Republicans are doing everything they can make it harder for Democrats to vote. But it will be harder for Trump to challenge this year's election, because of changes in the law--that's what Rick Hasen says. He's professor of law at UCLA, and his writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Slate and The New York Times.Plus: Trump supporters in Appalachia: Arlie Hochschild has spent years talking with them about how they understand their lives, and how Donald Trump helps overcome their shame. Her new book is “Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right.”

Presidential Debate 2024: Harold Meyerson on how, in dealing with Trump, "Kamala hit it out of the park"; and then, "the Republicans immediately seized upon 'Well, the moderators were hard on Trump'; but that's what happens when what you say is constructed entirely of lies."Also: Homeless vets have been trying for years to get the VA to build housing for them in LA on land dedicated to that purpose. Now, a federal judge has finally ruled: The vets win, and the VA loses. Mark Rosenbaum, lead attorney in the vets' class action suit, explains. Plus: Democracy in America is being undermined by the Electoral College, the Senate filibuster, the gerrymandering of the House, and the corruption of the Supreme Court. It's time to write, and ratify, a new constitution: that's what Erwin Chemerinsky says. His new book is “No Democracy Lasts Forever: How the Constitution Threatens the United States.”

Bibi is keeping the war in Gaza going not only for his own political survival but to help Trump defeat Kamala - Harold Meyerson comments.Also: Trump announced Friday that he would be voting against a abortion rights ballot measure in his home state of Florida. Amy Littlefield reports on the crucial referendum in the state that had been the South's last refuge for abortion access.Plus: Rachel Kushner talks about an informant and provocateur who infiltrates an anarchist eco-commune in rural France—the central character in her new novel, Creation Lake.

With ten weeks to go until election day, we'll look at where we've been in the last several weeks – most surprising: Kamala Harris emerging as a great candidate. Harold Meyerson explains that it's not so much that Harris has changed but that the Democratic Party has. Also: Summer Reading: M: Son of the Century is a 750-page historical novel about the rise of Mussolini by Antonio Scurati – John Powers, critic-at-large for NPR's Fresh Air draws parallels between 1920s Italy and Trump's America.Plus: The Warmth of Other Suns, about the great migration of Black people out of the South, has made The New York Times 100 Best Books of the Century list; from the archives, my discussion with its author, Isabel Wilkerson (originally recorded in 2010).

The Trump campaign – it's not going well right now. Marc Cooper has our analysis, and advises, rather than follow the two-or-three-point difference in polling, that we should instead look at the trend lines. Also, he reminds us that at the end of July in 1988, Michael Dukakis was leading George Bush by 14 points.It's still August — and time for more summer beach reading. While the Democrats hold their convention in Chicago, the number one nonfiction bestseller in America is “Hillbilly Elegy” by J.D. Vance. Luckily for us, Becca Rothfeld, author of “All Things Are Too Small” and the nonfiction book critic of The Washington Post, has read it, so we don't have to.From the archives: The legendary Father Greg Boyle, Jesuit pastor of Dolores Mission in Boyle Heights starting in 1986, has made it his mission to help gang members who want to quit. He founded Homeboy Industries in 1988. We spoke about his wonderful book "Tattoos on the Heart: Stories of Hope and Compassion" (Originally broadcast Jan., 2012)

Trump mostly stays home at Mar-a-Lago while Kamala and Tim Walz meet huge crowds in the swing states. Harold Meyerson comments on the current asymmetrical state of the campaign.Plus: Talking politics, and history, with Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown - he's up for reelection this year, in a state where Biden got only 45%. (originally recorded in October 2020)Also: Elon Musk has been a leader in the transition to renewable energy, and has made Twitter into a threat to democracy. He has become the face of 21st-century capitalism. David Nasaw has our analysis. (recorded in October, 2023.)

Tim Walz was a great choice for Kamala's VP - Harold Meyerson explains -- and takes up the question, what's happening to the Trump campaign?Also: JD Vance's remark about “childless cat ladies” who “want to make the rest of the country miserable” continues to reverberate in the news. Katha Pollitt has our analysis, and rebuts Vance's argument that people who don't have children don't have a stake in the country's future.Plus: Your Minnesota Moment: David Carr was a great New York Times media columnist; here he talks about his days as a drug addict in Minneapolis. His book is Night of the Gun. (originally broadcast 9/10/08)

Kamala's first 10 days have been "what any candidate would dream of" – and have given the Democrats an "energy jolt". Also, Donald's bad day with the largest annual gathering of Black journalists –Harold Meyerson comments. Next: Every four years, people die, people turn 18 and the electorate changes. Steve Philips reports on the new electorate. Plus: The phrase "homeless veterans" should be an American oxymoron – instead, administration after administration, including that of Biden, has fought against disabled veterans' right to housing. Public Counsel lead attorney Mark Rosenbaum discusses the class action lawsuit set for trial on August 6th.

America ready to elect a Black woman president? Harold Meyerson examines the opportunities facing Kamala Harris, and the obstacles to be overcome.Also: Democrats in Arizona are engaged in massive organizing to win an abortion rights referendum, elect a senator, and flip a House seat. And they are facing an Arizona Republican Party that is pretty crazy, to say the least. The Nation‘s Sasha Abramsky has our report.Plus: from the archives: Barbara Ehrenreich on the wellness industry, starting with those pink ribbons. Her book is "Bright-Sided." (originally broadcast November 2009)

After surviving the assassination attempt: Is Trump capable of sticking with his new feeling of gratitude, calm, and unity, or are anger and megalomania built into his DNA? Harold Meyerson comments.Also: Kamala Harris – could she replace Biden on the ticket? Should she? Joan Walsh has our report.Plus, from the archives: the song “Mack the Knife” from Berthold Brecht in 1928, to the Off Broadway revival of Threepenny Opera in 1955, to Sonny Rollins in 1956, to Bobby Darrin in 1960: we will listen, and Will Friedwald will explain.

Where do we stand with Joe Biden – today? More Democrats are saying Biden needs to step down – Harold Meyerson comments.Also: During the Supreme Court term that just ended, the conservative majority granted new constitutional rights to hedge fund managers, big business—and Donald Trump. David Cole explains the shocking decisions that have transformed our government. Plus: 1974, the new memoir by Francine Prose, recalls the year when “the '60s” came to a definitive end, when it became clear that the changes we'd wanted, the changes we'd fought for, were not going to happen. She spent that year in San Francisco, where she got to know Tony Russo of the Pentagon Papers case.

What would it take to get Biden to decline the nomination? Polls about the opinion of the Democratic rank-and-file; the views of Democratic senators and House members–those in danger of losing their seats and political careers—and Biden's own circle, for whom the crucial factor will be their assessment of his legacy. Harold Meyerson comments. Also: Marc Cooper argues that the narrative for Joe Biden's campaign has now been set: he's “too old.” And the Supreme Court decision on immunity for Trump makes it essential that he be defeated. Kamala Harris would be the choice of the party establishment, if Biden agreed to step aside; at the convention, she might be nominated by acclamation, without a vote among alternative choices. Plus: UCLA historian Robin Kelley talks about the music of Thelonious Monk – and his book: "Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original" – PLAYLIST: “‘Round Midnight,” “Well You Needn't,” “Straight No Chaser,” “Sweet and Lovely” – 1947 Blue Note sessions. (originally broadcast 10-21-09)

Trump v. Biden 2024 – before the debate: Biden cannot look old or confused, BUT – in a way, Trump's constant ridiculing of Biden for looking old and confused actually gives Biden his biggest and best opportunity. Harold Meyerson comments.Also: What should the Democrats do about white voters? Most of them have voted for Trump, twice. How much of that can be changed? Steve Phillips reports on new research that should reshape Democratic strategy. Plus: On throwing cards into watermelons, how to run a flea circus, the art of dental performance and much more – remembering master magician Ricky Jay (first recorded in 2002; he died in 2018).

It's not just AIPAC that's after Squad member and incumbent representative running for New York's 16th congressional district, Jamaal Bowman – Hillary Clinton has just endorsed his opponent, George Latimer – Harold Meyerson comments. Also: On May 31, Joe Biden declared, “It is time for this war to end.” But the leaders of both Israel and Hamas seem content for the war in Gaza to grind on into the indefinite future. Hussein Ibish explains why. Plus: From the archives: The Holocaust was not just murder on a mass-scale, it was a huge organizational undertaking that required vast amounts of information. IBM and the Holocaust: The Strategic Alliance between Nazi Germany and America's Most Powerful Corporation, documents the technology services rendered by US-based multinational corporation International Business Machines (IBM) and its German and other European subsidiaries for the government of Adolf Hitler – author, investigative journalist and historian Edwin Black discusses this history (first recorded May, 2001).

Male Trump voters tend to have what researches call 'precarious manhood' – determined by the frequency of their search terms for things such as: "penis enlargement" "Viagra" and "hair restoration" – Harold Meyerson comments Also: The Israel lobby AIPAC is spending millions to defeat Representative Jamaal Bowman in the New York state Democratic primary. That's because he called for a permanent ceasefire back in October, and describes what's happening in Gaza now as “an ongoing genocide.” Alan Minsky has our analysis of the campaign – he's Executive Director of Progressive Democrats of America.Plus: The Trump verdict and women voters: Exit polls have consistently shown women voting Democratic, and men voting Republican – especially with Trump. How much wider will the Gender Gap get, now that Trump has been found guilty-of lying about having had sex with a porn star? Katha Pollitt will comment.

What happened to the immediate Gaza cease-fire that Biden called for last week? Last Wednesday, Israel's national security advisor said that he expected Israel's war on Gaza would continue at least until the end of the year – if not longer. Harold Meyerson comments.Next: The punditocracy has been arguing that the guilty verdicts in the Trump trial won't matter much in the election – Marc Cooper disagrees, and explains what's wrong about the conventional wisdom.Plus: Jordan Peterson's books of advice for men have sold five million copies – he says men should work hard, be responsible, demand more of themselves—and make their beds.” Katha Pollitt joins the Start Making Sense podcast to discuss.

Almost 3,000 students have been arrested at more than 60 college campuses protesting American support for Israel's war in Gaza. Schools have a responsibility to maintain order. But they must not sacrifice the principles of free speech that are core to their educational mission. How have they been doing? Ben Wizner comments. He's Director of the ACLU's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project. Next: Kenya finally is sending 1000 police officers to Haiti on what is called a “UN security mission,” and Joe Biden held a gala state dinner honoring the president of Kenya for doing it. Amy Wilentz will comment on what she calls “the Devils' Ball.”Plus: Since Roe was overturned, pregnant people seeking medication abortions in red states have found help from providers operating at the edge of the law. Amy Littlefield reports.

Recent polls show Biden's level of support among non-college voters of all races is down to 39% – that's 9 points less than his level of support from those same voters in the 2020 election – Harold Meyerson comments.Next: Democrats in the Senate are going to lose the seat vacated by Joe Manchin in West Virginia – can they hold all the others in November? John Nichols has our analysis, starting with Maryland, where Democrat Angela Alsobrooks will face Republican “moderate” Larry Hogan, the popular anti-Trump former governor. Plus: The wonderful writer Margo Jefferson talks about “Constructing a Nervous System" – her memoir about growing up in a middle-class Black family in Chicago. (First recorded in April 2022)

The most important event in the history of Israel and Palestine was not the 1948 founding of Israel and the Nakba, or Israel's 1967 occupation of Palestinian territories. It was the outlawing of immigration of Jews (and others) to the US from Russia, Poland, and Eastern and Southern Europe. That was the purpose of the immigration restriction act passed by Congress in May, 1924, 100 years ago this month. Without that, the Jews of Europe would never have moved to Palestine, Harold Meyerson argues.Also: The New Yorker's award-winning climate writer Elizabeth Kolbert talks about her fascinating new book, “H is for Hope: Climate Change from A to Z.'”Plus: Judith Butler may be the most famous feminist theorist in the world today. Now Butler has a new book out, with the provocative title, “Who's Afraid of Gender?” Katha Pollitt provides a critique.

Lots of pro-Palestine encampments on college campuses have been attacked by local police, but UCLA was different: a pro-Israel mob attacked the encampment on April 30. The attack continued for three hours before police stepped in, and they didn't arrest any of the attackers. The next night, the police themselves attacked and shut down the encampment. David Myers has our report.Also: There's no doubt that Israeli women and girls were raped during the Hamas attack on Oct. 7; but there is little evidence to support Israel's charge that rape was a “premediated, systematic” strategy by Hamas—offered as a justification for their destruction of Gaza and killing 35,000 civilians. At the same time, evidence is growing of sexual abuse of Palestinian women held in detention by Israel. Azadeh Moaveni reports on the findings of her reporting for the LRB.Plus: There are two kinds of insecurity in our lives today, Astra Taylor argues: existential insecurity, the unavoidable issues of life and death, and manufactured insecurity—intended to make workers more submissive to authority. Communal action can do a lot to reduce that. Her book is “The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together As Things Fall Apart.” (First broadcast in September, 2023.)

On Tuesday, April 30, UCLA failed to protect students when 200 pro-Israel militants -- who were not students -- attacked the pro-Palestine encampment on campus. On Wednesday, thousands of pro-Palestine supporters gathered outside Royce hall; and during the early morning hours on Thursday, May 2, police raided the pro-Palestine encampment themselves and made over 200 arrests. Harold Meyerson contrasts UCLA's treatment of peaceful protests against Israel's destruction of Gaza with that of other US universities (recorded after Tuesday, before the Thursday morning raid).Also: Rural America is Trump country. In 2016, Hillary got barely 30 percent of the rural vote. Biden did only a little better in 2020. But he can do a lot better than that this year -- and he needs to, if he's going to carry some of the swing states. Anthony Flaccavento will explain -- he's co-founder and executive director of the Rural Urban Bridge Initiative. Plus: Arthur Danto visits Las Vegas -- not to gamble, but to look at the art. Arthur was an American art critic, philosopher, and professor at Columbia University. He died in October 25, 2013. (This interview was recorded in March 2000.)