Emma hosts author Ed Burmila to discuss his recent book Chaotic Neutral: How the Democrats Lost Their Soul in the Center. Emma first dives into updates on OPEC continuing their price gouging (and the Biden Administration’s response), a renewed attack on DACA by the right, progressive action in th...

Sam and Emma host Gary Gerstle, Professor of American History at the University of Cambridge, to discuss his recent book The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order: America and the World in the Free Market Era. First, Emma and Sam dive into the continued rise of mass shootings over this weekend, t...

Emma hosts Dorothy Roberts, professor of Law, Sociology, and Civil Rights at the University of Pennsylvania, to discuss her recent book Torn Apart: How the Child Welfare System Destroys Black Families–and How Abolition Can Build a Safer World. Emma first covers yesterday’s simultaneous mass shoot...

Emma hosts Brian Hochman, associate professor at Georgetown University, to discuss his recent book The Listeners: A History of Wiretapping in the United States. Then, Emma is joined by journalist Talia Lavin to discuss her recent piece in Rolling Stone ”The Buffalo Shooter Isn’t a ‘Lone Wolf.’ He...

Sam and Emma host Lily Geismer, professor of history at Claremont McKenna College, to discuss her recent book Left Behind: The Democrats’ Failed Attempt to Solve Inequality. on the shift from New Deal democratic ideology, to the neoliberal tactic of entrusting social development in private enterp...

Emma hosts Rachel Greenwald Smith, professor of English at St. Louis University, to discuss her recent book On Compromise: Art, Politics, and the Fate of An American Ideal, on compromise in art and politics, and as an American ideal. Professor Greenwald-Smith and Emma first back up and look at ho...

Sam and Emma host Carl Lindskoog, assistant professor of history at Raritan Valley Community College, to discuss his recent book Detain and Punish: Haitian Refugees and the World’s Largest Immigration Detention System, to discuss his recent book Detain and Punish: Haitian Refugees and the World’s...

Sam hosts Paul Sabin, professor of history at Yale University and director of the Yale Environmental Humanities Program, to discuss his recent book Public Citizens: The Attack On Big Government and the Remaking of American Liberalism, on how the US went from eras defined by government action unde...

Sam and Emma host HuffPost journalist Jonathan Cohn on his new book The Ten Year War: Obamacare and the Unfinished Crusade for Universal Coverage on the last decade of healthcare debate in America and what lies ahead.

Sam and Emma host Maurice Chammah, staff writer at The Marshall Project, and author of Let the Lord Sort Them: The Rise and Fall of the Death Penalty joins the show to discuss his new book and how America might move beyond its shameful history of capital punishment. Sam and Chammah explore how th...

Trump is irrational and North Korea responds to his threats.

Journalist Dan Froomkin explains the bizarre way that Trump fired Comey. The legitimate reasons for firing Comey. What Sally Yates revealed that probably led to the firing of James Comey. The FBI investigation into Russia and Trump is heating up. How the Republicans have become Trumps lacks. Will...

The New America Foundation’s Director of Open Markets Barry C. Lynn, explains what monopoly means in the American economy. The eyeglasses market and the obscene power of monopoly. Why are monopolies allowed? The American revolution and fighting monopolies. The Reagan and Clinton Administration’s ...

Cliff Schecter explains what motivated the murder of UK MP Jo cox and the enduring threat of Far Right terrorism. The Orlando massacre and the problem with how we label these crimes. The problems with preventing gun violence without real reform. Can we follow Australia’s lead in gun sanity. The m...

An antigay terrorist attack in Orlando. The emergency need for gun control and what we can do to to get gun safety. Can a liberal Supreme Court chip away at the Heller decision? Bizarre British pundits try to deflect from the homophobic nature of the attack and Owen Jones walks off set. Donald Tr...

Rana Foroohar the author of  Makers and Takers: The Rise of Finance and the Fall of American Business explains why Mitt Romney is wrong about who the real makers and takers are. The imbalance between the financial sector and “real businesses.” Why finance sectors half the size of ours in the us a...

Political strategist and MR regular explains some progressive wins in the state of Ohio. The transformed politics of Social Security. The evolution of the modern Democratic Party on Social Security. Where Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are on Social Security. Social Security and the Republican ...

Cliff Schecter explains the sexual abuse revelations of Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert and how Republicans looked the other way. Systemic child abuse and power. The move toward Paid Family leave. Why both the Sanders and Clinton campaigns are screwing up. Bill Clinton’s major screw up and re...

Cliff Schecter explains the absurdity of the Benghazi hearings and the nonsense Republican scandal machine. Trey Gowdy admits that the hearings exposed something new. What if Republicans were held to the same standards as Democrats. How delusional Republicans are about national security. Why did ...

Journalist and author of the now free eBook The Hunting of Hillary,  Joe Conason explains the dark and bizarre history behind the Clinton conspiracy industry. Vince Foster’s suicide and why the Right is the Clintons killed him. The evolving nature of the Benghazi scandal and why it migrated from ...

Sam explains why the Patent Trolls have lost and podcasts are safe for now. Hillary Clinton launches her campaign. Why it isn’t unreasonable for people to vote for Hillary because she would be the first woman President. Hillary’s first campaign ad. Ted Cruz’s announcement will make you feel like ...

Leading progressive blogger and writer Digby, explains how the Obama White House finally learned the lesson that progressives have always know, that the modern Republican Party has zero interest in compromise. The importance of unlearning the lessons of the Clinton era. Former key Obama advisor D...

Vermont Senator and progressive champion Bernie Sanders explains what President Obama got right at the State of the Union and why we are in record levels of inequality. The proposals that would help solve the poverty crisis and Why TPP and Fast Track trade authority are problems for inequality an...

Thomas Frank author of The Conquest of Cool: Business Culture, Counterculture, and the Rise of Hip Consumerism, explains the main takeaways from Thomas Piketty’s book, what Piketty gets right and wrong, why the debate on inequality is over, the importance of the Estate Tax? Mad Men and the “conqu...

Blogger and 2014 Hillman Prize winner Digby (Heather Parton) explains what she will say in her Hillman address, her writing on economic and social justice, how progressives put pressure on the Democratic Party, fighting conventional wisdom on cutting the social safety net, inequality and structur...

Nation contributing writer and author of  the new ebook When Hollywood Turned Left: The Election Campaign That Changed Politics in Films Forever, Greg Mitchell explains the historic importance of Upton Sinclair’s leftist candidacy for Governor in California, Hollywood’s reactionary past, how Holl...

Professor Adolph Reed Jr., explains how the Democratic Party embraced the neo-liberal agenda, how the shock of the Reagan Presidency shaped the modern Democratic Party, the role of the Democratic Leadership Council in moving Democrats to the right, the rightward legacy of Bill Clinton, the decoup...

The New Republic’s Noam Scheiber explains the structural inequities in the legal system, how Enron fraudster Jeffrey Skilling ended up with such a light sentence, how the legal system is stacked against the poor, the history of legal aid, the limits of legal aid, the role of the  Great Society an...

Matt & Michael hosted Nation Sports Editor, Dave Zirin, Zirin described how Jason Collins came out, the historical importance of the first openly Gay NBA athlete, the support for Jason Collins from fellow athletes and politicians, the transformation of gay rights in America and why the town o...

Professor Mark Blyth, explained the three big reasons austerity is a problem, the impact of global trade on austerity policies, the history of the idea of austerity, why the United States is in a stuttering recovery and the Europeans have created self created depression by practicing austerity, w...

On today’s show journalist Christopher Petrella, explained the power of the private prison industry, why private prisons are working to be reclassified as real estate holding companies, who the biggest players in the private prison business are and how to hold the industry accountable.

Filmmaker Eugene Jarecki, discussed his new documentary on the war on drugs The House I Live In.  Jarecki, explained the origins of his commitment to social justice, how the business of the drug war works, why politicians from both major parties have internalized the idea that they always need be...

On today’s show Harper’s Magazine’s dynamic duo Jack Hitt & Kevin Baker called in from Charlotte and discussed Michelle Obama’s successful speech, how forgiving and organized the Democratic Party base is and how the bear hug between Bill Clinton and Barack Obama represented the cultural besto...

Cliff Schecter from Libertas, LLC discusses the distortion of John Edwards infraction and implications of Bill Clinton’s support of Bain.  Plus, Josh Orton on the road inWisconsin with debate results and latest in Walker’s John Doe scandal.  And Matt comes through with a movie review.  Also, Sam ...