It’s Casual Friday! Sam and Emma host Heather Digby Parton, contributing writer at Salon.com and proprietor of the blog Hullabaloo, to round up the week in news. Then, Sam and Emma are joined by Matthew Film Guy! Emma and Sam first dive into the Uvalde Police’s ever-changing story, the White Hous...

Sam and Emma host David Pepper, former chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, to discuss his recent book Laboratories of Autocracy: A Wake-Up Call From Behind the Lines, on how the GOP has been chiseling away at democracy from its base, with the Karl Roves and Thomas Hofellers reinventing the gerrym...

Igor Volsky, Executive Director of Guns Down America and author of ‘Guns Down: How to Defeat the NRA and Build a Safer Future with Fewer Guns,’ joins us.

The biggest mass shooting in American history and why Republicans are now going to push to weaken regulation on gun silencers. The NRA’s terrorism and American’s disgusting relationship with guns and the Republicans disgusting gun policy.

Alex Hochuli (@Alex__1789), researcher and communications consultant based in São Paulo, joins us first to talk about the disintegration of the political class following the scapegoating of Lula and the Worker’s Party for Brazilian corruption. The significance of the June 2013 popular protests in...

When Mitch McConnell promised to fight to expand health care and not destroy it.

The NRA gets Charlie Daniels threatens Iran with ‘swamp folks’ and ‘gator’ wrestlers diss video. Why Hillary Clinton’s campaign will need to reach out to Bernie Sanders supporters. Elizabeth Warren hits Donald Trump hard on his Wall Street incoherence. Bill Bradley calls Donald Trump a “below ave...

Cliff Schecter thinks Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley all had strong performances at the Democratic Debate. Adam Green says last nights debate shows why the Elizabeth Warren wing of the party is winning. Is Hillary Clinton copying Barack Obama? Should we be cautious before tru...

Political strategist Cliff Schecter explains the importance of President Obama’s new rules on overtime pay and why it will help many Americans. Also Martin O’Malley attacks Bernie Sanders on his gun record and Bernie Sanders smart response. And why progressive shouldn’t be to excited about Jim We...

Cliff Schecter explains the overwhelming evidence that gun control works. Racism and the creation of the conservative movement. From the Civil War to the modern NRA and how the Right uses racism to advance its cause. Why the Republicans won’t call the Charelston terrorist attacks racist. Jeb Bush...

Authors Carmen Boullosa and Mike Wallace co -authors of the recent book A Narco History, explain the full and violent history of Mexico’s drug trade. Understanding the real history of the drug crisis and the problem with prohibition. How American drug usage and gun laws fuel cartel violence. How ...

Marie Gottschalk, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania and author of the new book Caught: The Prison State and the Lockdown of American Politics, explains the prison crisis in America. How American has become a prison state for many lower income Americans and people ...

Cliff Schecter explains why the NRA isn’t defending the rights of Ferguson’s black community, the NRA’s racism, militarized police and the African American community, where the situation in Ferguson stands now, all the issues that the crisis in Ferguson raises, the militarization of American soci...

Political strategist and weekly guest Cliff Schecter explains Majority Report Matt Binder’s massive twitter win, Mississippi Democratic Candidate Travis Childers strikes a populist tone on economics, Chris McDaniels and the GOP move toward the far right, how Republicans disown their policies, why...

Cliff Schecter explains his visit to the NRA convention, why crazy new gun laws in Georgia empowers crazy people, a mass shooting in a “must carry” town in Georgia, crime keeps going down in contrast to NRA fear mongering, the horrifying arsenals on sale at the NRA convention, a Maryland gun deal...

Professor and author of  Seventeen Contradictions and the End of Capitalism David Harvey explains the main contradictions in capitalism, the Neo Liberal counter attack against workers power, the move from demand side theory to supply theory, when demand side economics get into trouble, the distin...

Political maestro Cliff Schecter explains the insane new pro gun law that the Georgia House just passed, why the Georgia Senate may need to block the bill, what Democratic candidate Alex Sink’s loss in the Florida 13th District special election means, how the Obama White House does not know how t...

Weekly guest and political maestro Cliff Schecter explains the importance of the Newton shooting anniversary, how local groups are still working for gun control, how Congress has failed to act to protect the country from guns, why Starbucks no longer allows guns inside its stores, how the new bud...

Cliff Schecter, explained how ALEC and the NRA have pushed pro gun, anti choice and anti voting rights laws across the country, why the NRA carries on the tradition of racists politics, how Stand Your Ground laws feed racist vigilante culture and what can be done about it.

Cliff Schecter explained why Senators who voted against gun control are paying a price, the insane new head of the NRA, the Confederate roots of the NRA, the shooting death of a two year by her five year old brother in Kentucky, unreal Internet gun show promotes gun ownership for children and why...

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...

Heather C. McGhee, the Vice President of Policy and Outreach at Demos, explained Demos’s new report on how economic inequality is eroding democracy, why dominance of wealth in politics is killing the recovery, why the austerity caucus is afraid of democracy and the future and how clean election l...

Blogger and USA Today contributor Atrios (Duncan Black), explained what a true cost of living adjustment for the elderly would look like, the evolution of pension plans, the false promise of retirement plans, new retirees facing poverty, why politicians won’t run on increasing Social Security ben...

Cliff Schecter explained how the NRA was taken over by extremists, the embarrassing arguments presented by pro-gun advocates to the Judiciary Committee, Ted Cruz’s ludicrous questioning of Chuck Hagel, John McCain’s bullying and why McCain has a grudge against Hagel.

Author, Arthur Goldwag, explained the history of conspiracy culture on the right, the two fears that drive conservative conspiracy culture, the enduring importance of the Protocols Of The Elders of Zion in conspiracy culture, he global distribution of conspiracies, how mainstream Right-wing organ...

Cliff Schecter talked about the importance of holding Democrats accountable on guns, the right wing fixation on guns, why Democrats are exploiting social wedge issues to their advantage and why demographics and cultural progress favor the Democratic Party

The NRA runs a shockingly offensive ad aimed at President Obama’s daughters, what’s in Obama’s gun control package, the crucial role that universal background checks play in Gun Control, coming automatic budget cuts in domestic spending, will the Republicans blink in their insane push on the debt...

Cliff Schecter responded to the incredible cynicism and insanity of NRA head Wayne LaPierre’s press conference, guns are a public health issue, the NRA wants fully militarized schools, LaPierre did the gun control movement a favor by showing a large audience how insane he is, why there is no shar...

Cliff Schecter explained why the NRA is a front group for arms dealers, most members of the NRA support commons sense gun control, the opportunity for stringent gun control, why the NRA is a paper tiger and can be defeated politically, how the NRA fights against Constitutional Rights, what the Se...

Cliff wants to know why did Obama pick Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense? Hagel’s positive record on Iraq, HSBC launders hundreds of millions of dollars in drug cartel money and will not be prosecuted, why Cliff and Sam are cautiously optimistic about the fiscal cliff, Sam and Cliff discuss th...

Cliff Schecter, Libertas LLC, talks NRA in wake of shooting rampage in Aurora, calls out right-wing  Chick-fil-A chain (not a pop singer!) and indulges in weekly Romney bashing. And Isabel Gillies delivers this week’s film pick (surprise, surprise!).

Cliff Schecter from Libertas LLC on the NRA, ATF and brouhaha over Fast & Furious, the divisive 5:4 decisions of Robert’s court and the question: why don’t liberals care about SCOTUS? And back in rotation, Film Guy Matthew Weiss with a thoughtful and apropos movie review.  In the better half,...

Cliff Schecter, Libertas LLC, and Sam in Vegas at the Mass Tort conference talk America’s #1 world ranking in civilian gun ownership, Romney’s Cookie-gate, Ted Nugent and more.  Jimmy Reefercake delivers his final song of the week.  Plus, your calls and IMs.

Gun control, NRA lobby and racism in this country all brought to light in wake of Trayvon Martin shooting.  Also, who gets budget spotlight and what does Obama stand for?  Cliff Schecter, Libertas LLC, addresses it all in his regular Casual Friday segment.  Isabel Gillies has weekend watching rec...