Podcast appearances and mentions of harold meyerson

Trump says his memo of understanding is a big win for him because Iran has pledged NOT to develop nuclear weapons and to open the Strait of Hormuz. But, that only "gets us back to what the status quo was before Trump decided to go to war" and "the Iranian pledge not to develop nuclear weapons, that's a pledge they made 40 or 50 years ago". Next: News from Ohio, where Trump's favorable rating has gone from 58% to 42% – Harold Meyerson comments.Also: In his campaign against elite universities as centers of resistance, Trump hasn't been able to force Harvard to submit. And it seems less likely now that they will settle. Harvard law professor Randall Kennedy has our analysis.Plus: the essential workers at our supermarkets: Ann Larson talks about poverty wages and worker solidarity. Her new book is Cleanup on Aisle Five: Essential Work, Poverty Wages, and the View From Behind the Supermarket Register.

Democratic strength, and Democratic divisions, in primaries from L.A. to Maine—Harold Meyerson has our analysis of the week's political developments.Also: Can AI write poetry? Good poetry? Katha Pollitt decided to find out. She's an award-winning poet herself, and a columnist for The Nation​.Plus: From the archives: We remember George Harrison with Allan Kozinn; he​ was music critic for The New York Times and wrote of the George Harrison obituary, as well as the book "The Beatles" (originally recorded in December 2001, one week after George Harrison died).

California's next Governor will likely be Xavier Becerra – as a former California Attorney General, he has a record of suing Trump; but is also known to be a corporate-friendly Democrat. Still, ​with California's notoriously slow count, it is too soon to call. Meanwhile, the 35% Karen Bass has in the LA mayoral race, "reflects the lack of enthusiasm" among LA voters – Harold Meyerson comments.Also: Primaries in Iowa, New Jersey and elsewhere tested the strength of progressives in the party. John Nichols has our analysis.Plus: From the Archives: Girl Groups of the Sixties: Raw emotion, youthful energy, and teenage angst in a 4-CD Rhino box set: One Kiss Can Lead To Another: Girl Group Sounds Lost & Found. Jon Pareles of the New York Times wrote, "to hear all these long-suffering voices is to realize that feminism didn't arrive an instant too soon." Gary Stewart, who died in 2019, produced the 120-track collection along with Cheryl Farber, in 2005. PLAYLIST: “Needle in a Haystack,” The Velvelettes (1964); Nobody Knows What's Going on in my Mind but Me, The Chiffons (1965); Nothing but a Heartache, The Flirtations (1968); I Never Dreamed, The Cookies (1964); “I'm Blue (The Gong-Gong Song),” The Ikettes (1961). (Originally recorded in 2005.)

The big picture of national politics: Trump is not just sinking in the polls, he's accelerating into the most unpopular and toxic parts of his presidency. People are focused on the economy, they want the war in Iran finished – instead, Trump is pushing his billion-dollar ballroom and his slush fund to pay-off the white-supremacist insurrectionists – Harold Meyerson comments.Also: Trump's Billion-Dollar Ballroom is a familiar kind of corruption, but his slush fund to pay the insurrectionists and paramilitary groups that commit violence in his name is an unprecedented attack on democracy. Rob Weissman of Public Citizen explains, and also talks about the immense, and immensely unpopular, proposed Arc d'Trump.Plus: I met Elmore Leonard, who died on August 20, 2013 at age 87, only a couple of times, but he was a memorable guy, totally unpretentious about his massive accomplishments: 45 novels, including many best-sellers, almost a dozen made into movies and TV shows, and a reputation among the literati as one of the great writers of dialogue in our time. When I spoke with him in 2000, he had just published Pagan Babies, a comic novel on the unlikely subject of genocide in Rwanda. (Originally recorded in October, 2000 and later published in LARB on August 20, 2013.)

Another US Senator Assaulted by Trump and Stephen Miller's ICE and DHS Thugs | The California Crackup That Could Have Republican Reality TV Gadflys Elected in the Bluest State | The Rise of Progressive Populism in the Heartland as the Con of Trump's Authoritarian Populism Sinks In backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

The primary elections results this week show the success of Trump's revenge campaign — and the limits of that campaign. Harold Meyerson comments.Also: History on the March: The American Historical Society has filed a lawsuit and a federal judge has ordered the Trump White House to comply with the Presidential Records Act.Next: State legislatures have a lot of power in America—the States Project focuses on expanding that. Daniel Squadron explains. His new book is The Fourth Branch: How State Government can Save Our Union.Plus: Your Minnesota Moment: Today, Minneapolis prosecutors charge an ICE agent with assault and lying.

Part 1:We talk with Sam Russek, reporter and researcher at the New Republic.We discuss Trump's support for Ken Paxton in the primary in Texas.Part 2:We talk with Bill Curry and Harold Meyerson.We discuss the relationship between Xi, Putin, and Trump.WNJNFM.ORG  productionMusic: "That's how every empire dies, " John Prine 

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

Last week was one of the roughest for Democrats since Trump won the election in 2024: The Supreme Court ended Black congressional representation in most of the South and opened the door to the creation of several more Republican House seats, and then the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that the state's initiative that created four more Democratic House seats was invalid. Nevertheless, Trump is so unpopular that Democrats remain strong favorites to retake the House in November. Harold Meyerson comments.Also: During the first part of the 20th century, 100,000 Eastern European Jews joined a socialist organization that opposed Zionism. Their organization we call the Bund, and they believed that Jews should fight for full rights wherever they were, not for a new homeland somewhere else. Their motto was “Here, where we live, is our country”—that's the title of a new book about them by Molly Crabapple. Adam Hochschild comments.Plus: Historians on the March: Tennessee's anti-communist curriculum.

Part 1:We talk with Harvey Kronberg, publisher of the Quorum Report, Texas' oldest political newsletter.We discuss the gerrymandering in Texas, and how this is affecting the current campaigns in Texas.We also discuss how Atty Gen Paxton is attaching State Rep Wu for the quorum break last year.Part 2:We talk with Bill Curry and Harold Meyerson.We discuss how southern states are in a frenzy to redistrict, following the Supreme Court's decision in Callais.We speculate on Trump's China meeting. China's tech capacity is rising, while the US capacity and future looks bleak.We discuss Iran, and "operation epic failure"The Hanta virus response has been questionable. WNHNFM.ORG  productionMusic: "That's how every empire falls,:" John Prine

Last week was one of the roughest for Democrats since Trump won the election in 2024 - the Supreme Court ended Black congressional representation in most of the South and opened the door to the creation of several more Republican House seats – and then the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that the state's initiative that created four more Democratic House seats was invalid. Nevertheless Trump is so unpopular that Democrats remain strong favorites to retake the House in November. Harold Meyerson comments.Also: During the first part of the 20th century, 100,000 Eastern European Jews joined a socialist organization that opposed Zionism. Their organization we call the Bund, and they believed that Jews should fight for full rights wherever they were, not for a new homeland somewhere else. Their motto was “here, where we live, is our country”--that's the title of a new book by Molly Crabapple. Adam Hochschild comments.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Last week was one of the roughest for Democrats since Trump won the election in 2024 - the Supreme Court ended Black congressional representation in most of the South and opened the door to the creation of several more Republican House seats – and then the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that the state's initiative that created four more Democratic House seats was invalid. Nevertheless Trump is so unpopular that Democrats remain strong favorites to retake the House in November. Harold Meyerson comments.Also: During the first part of the 20th century, 100,000 Eastern European Jews joined a socialist organization that opposed Zionism. Their organization we call the Bund, and they believed that Jews should fight for full rights wherever they were, not for a new homeland somewhere else. Their motto was “here, where we live, is our country”--that's the title of a new book by Molly Crabapple. Adam Hochschild comments.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Fifty-nine percent of Americans believe Trump does not have the mental sharpness necessary to lead the country; 55 percent think Trump does not have the physical health to serve as president; and 67 percent think Trump does not carefully consider important decisions – according to a new Washington Post/ABC News Ipsos poll. And, in a time when energy costs are soaring and many Americans are losing their healthcare, Trump continues to talk about his ballroom — with ​a $1 billion price tag ​of taxpayer​ money. Harold Meyerson comments.Also: History on the march: The battle over our understanding of our American past. The history profession had a big win in federal court this week when a federal judge ruled that DOGE did not have the authority to cancel grants awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities; which totaled $100 million this year. Plus: Trump's efforts to block Democratic voting in the midterms, or overturn the results, is not going to work—Ian Bassin explains the widespread preparations underway for defending the election in November. Ian is co-founder of the organization Protect Democracy and winner of a MacArthur genius grant.

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

What Democrats need to do to counter the Supreme Court abolishing Black congressional districts: Harold Meyerson comments on the continuing reapportionment wars and the upcoming elections.Also: John Nichols explains why Trump may never succeed at building any of his ICE prison camps, and how this Friday's May Day strike is a test of our power to resist.Plus: MOCA's “Monuments” show in LA critiques Confederate monuments that have been taken down in response to protests. Critic Christopher Knight has our evaluation. The show closes Sunday. (Originally broadcast October 31, 2024.)

Trump's support continues to decline on everything he does, especially the war with Iran. But as he becomes weaker, he becomes more dangerous. Harold Meyerson comments; he's editor-at-large of The American Prospect.Also: We need an AI revolution that works for the people, not just the billionaires. That's Ro Khanna's “AI Manifesto.” He's the member of Congress who represents Silicon Valley, and also a leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. His manifesto is the cover story in The Nation magazine's new issue.Plus: The one bit of good news coming out of Trump's disastrous Iran War - the global energy crisis, the oil shortages caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has made the case for alternative energy much stronger and more urgent – and solar power has now become much cheaper, for its own reasons. Bill McKibben will explain – his new book is “Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization” (originally broadcast in September, 2025).

Part 1:We talk with Harvey Kronberg, Publisher of the Quorum Report in Texas.We discuss Gov. Abbott's attack on Houston, defunding the police to force them to work with ICE, just as the World Cup is coming to Houston.We discuss the race for US Senate in Texas, and the positions of Cornyn and Paxton, both Republicans, and Talarico (D) in that race.Part 2:We talk with Bill Curry and Harold Meyerson.We discuss the "jungle primary" in California, with the previous Democratic leader, Swallwell, out of the race. We also discuss the war on science being waged by the White House, which has just shut down research on MRnA vaccines, which hold promise for many diseases.The Secretary of the Navy has been replaced by Hegseth, in the middle of the Iran war.  WNHNFM.ORG  productionMusic: "That's how every empire falls." John Prine

We need an AI revolution that works for the people, not just the billionaires. That's Ro Khanna's “AI Manifesto.” He's the member of Congress who represents Silicon Valley, and also a leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. His manifesto is the cover story in The Nation magazine's new issue.Also: Trump's support continues to decline on everything he does, especially the war with Iran. But as he becomes weaker, he becomes more dangerous. Harold Meyerson comments; he's editor-at-large of The American Prospect.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Trump's terrible week started Sunday when he attacked the Pope and then presented himself in an AI image as Jesus Christ; he then took control of the Strait of Hormuz, making sure that oil and gas prices continue to rise; and then Victor Orbán, Trump's MAGA ally in Hungary, lost his election to Peter Magyar – Harold Meyerson comments.Also: It's been only a couple of weeks since the No Kings 3 protests, but we can see now how protest and resistance are changing in America: that one it wasn't just bigger than the previous No Kings. It was different: Deeper and more connected. Rebecca Solnit argues that to understand resistance and change today, we need a much longer perspective than a couple of years. Her new book is The Beginning Comes After the End.Plus: Minneapolis made history with its mobilization against ICE. But what about the rest of the state, where the immigrant population has been growing for a couple of decades? What kind of resistance has developed there? Emma Janssen went to small town Minnesota to find out. She's a writing fellow at The American Prospect.

Could a Ceasefire Between Israel and Lebanon Lead to an Iran-US Agreement to End the War? | On Tax Day Working And Middle Class Americans Do Their Patriotic Duty While the Richest Among Us Take Their Money and Run | The Delusional Democrats Crowding Out the Governor's Race Make it Likely a MAGA Republican Will be California's Next Governor backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

The War in Iran: A lot of people on both sides are saying Iran won – that the Iranian regime has emerged stronger than it was before the war; while the US has emerged weaker, unable to force the surrender of a 4th-rate military, demonstrating our strategic ineptitude, and then there is the TACO factor, Trump Always Chickens Out – Harold Meyerson comments.Also: Minnesota changed everything: how Minnesota's resistance to ICE provides a model and inspiration for a national pro-democracy movement. Deepak Bhargava will explains; he's president of the Freedom Together Foundation.Plus: July 4 will mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, which Trump is celebrating with a campaign to “eliminate” what he calls “divisive anti-American ideology” from American's historic sites, national parks, and the National Zoo. Historian Beverly Gage has another idea – a road trip to visit some of those places where history happened. Her new book is This Land is Your Land: A Road Trip Through US History.

Part 1:We talk with Harvey Kronberg, publisher of the Quorum Report in Texas.We discuss the effects of the space program in Texas, and its ongoing contribution to the Texas economy.We also talk about the Texas legislature, and Republicans' discomfort with the slow change to Democrats' gains.Data centers in Texas are using many resources, and this is not popular, especially rural Texas, while the centers are getting $1Billion in tax breaks annually.We also discuss textbooks used in public schools in Texas and California, the two states who influence the use of books countrywide.Part 2:We talk with Bill Curry and Harold Meyerson.We discuss how the Iran war is being framed in religious terms by Hegseth and Trump. The Vatican has been threatened by Pentagon officials, presumably speaking for Trump, too. Hight-ranking officers, including command generals, have been dismissed by Hegseth. Israel has continued to bomb Lebanon. The Straits of Hormuz are still closed to most traffic, and Iran has a "toll" system for those ships who are allowed to pass.  WNHNFM.ORG  productionMusic: "Masters of War" Bob Dylan, 1963

Trump's failed Iran war speech, and his firing of Pam Bondi: a big week in Washington. Harold Meyerson comments.Plus: We're still thinking about No Kings 3 day on Saturday: 8 million people. 3,300 events. ‘No Kings' protests in almost every city and town in the country. 100 towns in Texas alone had No Kings protests! It was the largest single-day nonviolent protest in American history. John Nichols analyzes the possibilities for what comes next.Also: No one expected that revoking the constitutional right to abortion would wind up expanding access to it. But ever since the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision in 2022 allowed more than a dozen states to ban abortion outright, the number of abortions in this country has actually risen every year. How did that happen? Amy Littlefield explains; her new book is Killers of Roe: My investigation into the mysterious death of abortion rights.

Trump's approval rating has hit an all-time low for a modern president. Jimmy Carter had the same rating on the economy – 29% – back in 1979. And what was happening in 1979? An oil embargo and revolution in Iran. Next: Trump is trying to limit voting by mail and SCOTUS will make a ruling soon. Harold Meyerson comments.Also: The No Kings 3 protests this Saturday are going to be big – maybe the biggest day of protest in American history. Leah Greenberg, co-founder and co-director of Indivisible, will explain—starting with the plans for St. Paul, site of the day's flagship event.Plus: Trump has renewed his year-long campaign against universities that have been resisting his authoritarian rule - he's focused his attacks on the most prestigious private university, Harvard, and the most prestigious public university, UCLA, suing each of them in the past week for – “antisemitism.” David Myers, who teaches Jewish history at UCLA, comments.

Why is the US at war with Iran? "It's entirely a war based on Trump's whim and his apparent desire to do what Bibi Netanyahu has asked him to do". Next up: Elections in Illinois, where AIPAC, AI and Crypto money did not win. Harold Meyerson comments.Also: The Working Families Party is organizing voters not just to win a Democratic majority in Congress but for a movement election, a historic expansion of the electorate that includes a demand for significant change. Maurice Mitchell, the party's National Director, explains.Plus: Trump's war in Iran is bringing economic chaos and suffering to much of the world, but for American voters, the biggest effect is the soaring price of gasoline – and the political implications for Republicans in the midterms are clear to everyone. Meanwhile Minneapolis has shown how Americans can resist unjust and illegitimate power. John Nichols comments.

Part 1:We talk with Harvey Kronberg, publisher of the Quorum Report in Texas.We discuss the upcoming election for US Senator in Texas, and the fact that neither Republican candidate has chosen to withdraw, as directed by Trump. There may be a blue wave in Texas.Part 2:We talk with Bill Curry and Harold Meyerson.We discuss the war in Iran, and the economic consequences for the world. The "American Century" is over, and the US has few friends left. It appears that Trump is not in charge of the war, but is led by Netanyahu.We also discuss the allegations against Cesar Chavez.WNHNFM.ORG productionMusic: "That's how every empire falls," John Pine, 2025

59% of Americans disapprove of the war in Iran, according to a CNN poll. Democrats offered a War Powers resolution that would have set some limits on Trump's war in Iran; it lost in the Senate on Wednesday with one Republican – Rand Paul – voting in favor. Harold Meyerson comments.Also: After Senate Democrats block the SAVE act, Trump is likely to declare a national security emergency – claiming China could interfere in the midterms – as a basis for restricting voting. David Cole comments; he's former legal director of the ACLU.Plus: Congress must challenge Trump's war on Iran and assert its constitutional duty to take up War Powers resolutions and assert its primacy over matters of war and peace. John Nichols explains.

Trump's State of the Union speech was the expected firehose of lies – and went on at an unprecedented length. Meanwhile, the foremost issue of concern on the minds of most Americans was the Epstein files. And, what did Trump say about the Epstein files during the speech? "Nada." The other issues of great concern are the actions of ICE. Again, Trump did not say anything about that either. So, what DID Trump talk about? Harold Meyerson comments.Also: In 1949 when Jackie Robinson appeared before HUAC, the House Un-American Activities Committee, to discredit Paul Robeson. Howard Bryant talks about why that happened, and what happened afterwards - to each of them. His new book is “Kings and Pawns.”

Part 1:We talk with Harvey Kronberg ,publisher of the Quorum Report, the oldest political newsletter in TX.We discuss the early primaries in Texas now ongoing. We discuss the status of Republican primary candidates, and the Democratic primary candidates. Texans do no have to declare prior to actual voting which party they participate in. We also discuss the role of the governor, Greg Abbott, in the primaries, even though he is not on the ballot himself. Part 2: We talk with Bill Curry and Harold Meyerson. Bill Curry was a Connecticut state senator, comptroller and two time Democratic nominee for governor who served as Counselor to the President in the Clinton White House. He has written for Salon, the Daily Beast, the Huffington Post and the Hartford Courant and has provided commentary on National Public Radio, MSNBC and many other news outlets. Harold Meyerson is editor at large of The American Prospect.We discuss the State of the Union speech and the poor performance of Democrats who did not take the opportunity to challenge Trump's lies and fabrications. To be so passive in the face of obvious mendacity is a poor showing. WNHNFM.ORG  productionMusic: "That's how every empire falls. "John Pine,   2015

Trump, facing the wave of popular opposition to pretty much everything he's doing, is working to block Democrats from voting in the midterms, and “election protection” has become a key part of the preparations underway from blue state attorneys general and from voting rights groups like the Brennan Center and the ACLU. Harold Meyerson explains.Also: A large proportion of slaves who escaped from slavery in the South escaped not on foot, but by boat. Marcus Rediker tells their story – his new book is ​"Freedom Ship: The Uncharted History of Escaping Slavery by Sea.​"Plus: The Battle for Black History: On February 1, 1976 President Gerald Ford – a Republican – asked the public to "seize the opportunity to honor the too often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history" – commemorating the first Black History Month. Fifty years later, February 1, 2026, Trump sent workers with crowbars who pried off all 30 interpretive signs about slavery from the walls of the Presidents' House in Philadelphia. The city sued and a federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore the displays about slavery, stating that Trump did not "have the power to erase or alter historical truths."

Trump, facing the wave of popular opposition to pretty much everything he's doing, is working to block Democrats from voting in the midterms, and “election protection” has become a key part of the preparations underway from blue state attorneys general and from voting rights groups like the Brennan Center and the ACLU. Harold Meyerson explains.Also: A large proportion of slaves who escaped from slavery in the South escaped not on foot, but by boat. Marcus Rediker tells their story - his new book is Freedom Ship: The Uncharted History of Escaping Slavery by Sea.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Your Minnesota Moment: Today, ICE is pulling out of Minneapolis after a massive and sustained resistance movement – demonstrating that when you fight Trump you CAN win. Harold Meyerson comments.Also: The size and scale of the resistance to ICE in Minneapolis is too vast to fully comprehend. John Nichols has our report – he's The Nation's executive editor, and he's just spent several days talking to the city's leaders and activists.Plus: Democrats could win a Senate seat in Texas this November. Texas is not so much a red state as it is a low-turnout state. Steve Phillips analyzes Jasmine Crockett's campaign for the Democratic nomination, which relies on organizing non-voters and reluctant voters.

Congress is debating restrictions for ICE this week, we'll go into the funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security; it seems the real negotiations are not between the Democrats and the Republican senators, but between the Democrats and Trump. The "Big Beautiful Bill" provided an additional $75 billion to ICE last July so, if no funding deal is made next week, the Coast Guard and FEMA will be shut down while ICE will continue to operate. Harold Meyerson comments.Next: The Super Bowl is by far the biggest entertainment event of the year in the US, and this Sunday the halftime show will feature Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny, who has been demanding “ICE Out!” How did the Super Bowl halftime show become the center of resistance to ICE? Dave Zirin​ will explain.Also: On February 1, 1960 four students sat down on stools at Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina and ordered coffee and donuts, challenging the rules of segregation with non-violent resistance. They were refused service but were joined the next day by a group of people – sparking a movement to desegregate with sit-ins nationwide.As the Trump administration works to replace multiculturalism with white nationalism – this February – America's 50th observance – Black History month is especially important. From the archives, we revisit an interview with Isabel Wilkerson on her book about the great migration of Black people out of the South: “The Warmth of Other Suns” (originally recorded in 2010).Plus: Your Minnesota Moment: A first-hand account of anti-ICE demonstrations in Minnesota​, and attending Bruce Springsteen's First Avenue performance of "Streets of Minneapolis" – the No. 1 song in America this week.

Eyes on Minneapolis: three-quarters of Americans have seen all or some of the video of the murder of Alex Pretti. With this attention, we have the power to challenge ICE; where do we stand on the Democrats' bill proposing to enforce restrictions? Harold Meyerson comments.Next: The Nation nominates Minneapolis for the Nobel Peace Prize; the first time a city and its people have been nominated for the prize.Also: We have the power to rein in ICE and protect our neighbors, Leah Greenberg argues – she's co-founder and co-executive director of Indivisible, the group that organized No Kings 2 last October, the largest demonstration in American history. The key right now, she says, is for Senate Democrats to refuse to fund Homeland Security in this week's budget vote, unless Republicans agree to put meaningful restrictions on that lawless agency.Plus: The group Standing Together says it is still possible for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side with full equality and justice for everyone. The are the largest Jewish-Arab grassroots movement in Israel, working to create an alternative to the existing reality by building political power. Sally Abed explains -- she's a Palestinian citizen of Israel, a leader of Standing Together, and she was elected to the Haifa city council in February 2024.

Trump's first year has seen a collapse of support in DC and among voters nationwide, huge losses in the lower courts, and the rise of a massive opposition movement. Meanwhile, as Trump year two begins and the midterms approach, it's looking very good for the Democrats. Harold Meyerson comments.Also: The landscape of resistance in Minneapolis, John Nichols reports, includes surprisingly powerful and effective faith groups, plus unions, neighborhood mutual aid and community safety networks, ICE observer teams, and direct action groups, plus the ACLU and its allies, as well as the outspoken mayor and the fighting state attorney general.Plus: DOGE did NOT reduce spending – at all. But it did reduce federal employment; 271,000 people lost their jobs in the federal government, according to CATO. Sasha Abramsky set out to find out what it was like for some of those people -- his new book reports on the experiences of eleven fired federal workers: American Carnage: How Trump, Musk, and DOGE butchered the US Government.

Part 1:We talk with Anders Croy, Communications Director of Florida Watch and De Santis Watch.We discuss the affordability crisis in Florida, and the promises being made by outgoing governor DeSantis to eliminate property taxes. No substitute for that revenue source is being mentioned, which likely mean cutbacks in services and school budgets. The main contributors to the affordability problems are homeowners insurance costs, and no effective regulation of insurance in Florida, and the likelihood of natural disasters forcing the issue for homeowners. Energy costs, health care, food, other costs continue to rise.Part 2:We talk with Harold Meyerson, Editor at Large at The American Prospect.We discuss the problems of workers in the U.S. Worker compensation is the lowest since 1947. Costs have risen, causing the affordability crisis in the US. Home buyers are priced out of the market, and the median age of first time home buyers has risen to 40. Real wages are shrinking, while costs rise.  WNHNFM.ORG  productionMusic: John Prine, "That's how Every Empire Falls" 2015

As Trump's support collapses, he has lashed out in two directions–sending an unprecedented number of ICE agents to Minneapolis, where one of them murdered Renee Good, and sending the military to Venezuela, where he says he has seized control of the oil industry. Harold Meyerson comments.Also: Twenty Minutes Without Trump: There's a new TV series about how capitalism came to Communist China: 30 episodes made for Chinese TV by the great Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai, running now on the Criterion Channel. John Powers, critic-at-large on Fresh Air with Terry Gross, explains.Plus: Rick Perlstein talks about the rise of Reagan, from what seemed like a career-ending defeat in the 1976 GOP primary, to his narrow victory in the popular vote in 1980–and how the darkness of the culture war has shaped the Republican Party that Trump came to dominate. Rick's long-awaited book, 1100 pages long, is “Reaganland: America's Right Turn, 1976-1980.”

As Trump's support collapses, he has lashed out in two directions--sending an unprecendented number of ICE agents to Minneapolis, where one of them murdered Renee Good, and sending the military to Venezuela, where he says he has seized control of the oil industry. Harold Meyerson comments.Also: Twenty Minutes Without Trump: There's a new TV series about how capitalism came to Communist China, 30 episodes made for Chinese TV by the great Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai, running now on the Criterion Channel. John Powers, critic-at-large on Fresh Air with Terry Gross, explains.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

As Trump's support collapses, he has lashed out in two directions--sending an unprecendented number of ICE agents to Minneapolis, where one of them murdered Renee Good, and sending the military to Venezuela, where he says he has seized control of the oil industry. Harold Meyerson comments.Also: Twenty Minutes Without Trump: There's a new TV series about how capitalism came to Communist China, 30 episodes made for Chinese TV by the great Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai, running now on the Criterion Channel. John Powers, critic-at-large on Fresh Air with Terry Gross, explains.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What is to be done about that ICE agent murdering a woman in Minneapolis, Renée Good, who was a peaceful legal observer trying to drive away from him? Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem called the murder "self defense" – the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey said that was "bullshit" and to ICE he said, "Get the fuck out of Minneapolis" – and Minnesota Senator Tina Smith said to ICE "Leave us the fuck alone" – Harold Meyerson comments.Also: the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ordered the VA to provide housing for disabled vets on its land in Los Angeles, something they have refused to do for more than a decade. The ruling should end homelessness among disabled vets everywhere – Mark Rosenbaum of Public Counsel, who won the case, explains.Plus: How a small group of people challenged an unjust law and changed history: Eric Foner, historian and author of “Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad,” talks about the Underground Railroad and its challenge to the Fugitive Slave Act in the years leading up to the Civil War (first broadcast in January, 2015).

The year in politics: Harold Meyerson of The American Prospect comments on Trump's collapsing support in 2025, and the rise of the resistance—in both the unprecedented national mobilizations culminating in the second No Kings Day, and the Democratic triumph in virtually all elections in 2025.Also: the year in court: David Cole, who stepped down this year as national legal director of the ACLU, reviews the 149 rulings against Trump in federal courts this past year, and the 21 times the Supreme Court has supported his attacks on democracy.Plus: From the archives: Ricky Jay was one of the world's great sleight-of-hand artists, distinguished by the remarkable variety of his accomplishments as an author, actor, and historian. In Jay's Journal of Anomalies he described some of his favorite strange entertainments through the ages: throwing cards into watermelons, how to run a flea circus, the art of dental performance and much more – we remember master magician Ricky Jay (first recorded in 2002; he died in 2018).

The year in politics: Harold Meyerson of The American Prospect comments on Trump's collapsing support in 2025, and the rise of the resistance—in both the unprecendented national mobilizations culminating in the second No Kings Day, and the Democratic triumph in virtually all elections in 2025.Also: the year in court: David Cole, who stepped down this year as national legal director of the ACLU, reviews the 149 rulings against Trump in federal courts this past year, and the 21 times the Supreme Court has supported his attacks on democracy.Our Sponsors:* Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The year in politics: Harold Meyerson of The American Prospect comments on Trump's collapsing support in 2025, and the rise of the resistance—in both the unprecendented national mobilizations culminating in the second No Kings Day, and the Democratic triumph in virtually all elections in 2025.Also: the year in court: David Cole, who stepped down this year as national legal director of the ACLU, reviews the 149 rulings against Trump in federal courts this past year, and the 21 times the Supreme Court has supported his attacks on democracy.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Trump Targets Venezuela's Oil, Intensifying Pressure on Maduro | Why Are Trump and Vance Trashing a "Decaying" Europe When They Have a Better Quality of Life Than We Do? | The Vexed Relationship Between the U.S. and Iran With a Hostility That Has Lasted Longer Than the Cold War backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

Last Friday Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she was quitting after Trump excommunicated her from MAGA, while the same day Trump welcomed Zohran Mamdani to the White House with open arms and high praise. What's going on with Trump? Harold Meyerson comments - he's editor at large of The American Prospect.Also: Alice Waters, the legendary founder of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, winner of the National Humanities Medal, awarded by Obama, talks about how to make school lunch delicious, affordable, organic, and beautiful - and locally sourced from regenerative farmers. Her new book is A School Lunch Revolution.Our Sponsors:* Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

ast Friday Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she was quitting after Trump excommunicated her from MAGA, while the same day Trump welcomed Zorhan Mamdani to the White House with open arms and high praise. What's going on with Trump? Harold Meyerson comments - he's editor at large of The American Prospect.Also: Alice Waters, the legendary founder of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, winner of the National Humanities Medal, awarded by Obama, talks about how to make school lunch delicious, affordable, organic, and beautiful - and locally sourced from regenerative farmers. Her new book is A School Lunch Revolution.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

Voters can take a stand against Trump's candidates in next Tuesday's elections in Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, and New York City – and move toward redistricting that favors Democrats. Harold Meyerson explains.Also: a new art exhibit in Los Angeles, called ‘Monuments,' displays ten decommissioned Confederate monuments alongside the work of 19 artists responding or relating to them. It's at MOCA, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and at the Brick, an arts nonprofit. Christopher Knight comments -- he's art critic for the LA Times and winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Criticism.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Hamas Moves to Assert Control Over Gaza Making the Prospect of an Arab/Muslim Police Force Taking Over Dubious While Trump, Miller and Vance's Demonization of the American Left is Ludicrous, We Look Into Rifts Between the Fundis and the Realos | How Far Will the Country Sink Into the Trump Abyss of Corruption, Venality, Malevolence and Vulgarity? backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

Putin Tests the NATO Alliance With a Drone Incursion Into Poland | Why Are Democratic Leaders Avoiding Popular And Promising Candidates Like Mamdani and Maine's Oysterman? | Qatar Was Not Warned About the Israeli Attack Which Happened at 3.46 Because the US Told Them About it 10 Minutes Later at 3.56 backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia