LA makes a major step towards a living wage as the city moves to raise wages to $15 an hour. The success of the Fast Food workers strikes and the grassroots push for a living wage across the United States. What raising the minimum wage means for most workers. Medicare cuts are going to help fund ...

Roosevelt Institution Fellow, Mike Konczal, explains why trade agreements are not about trade. Why today’s generation of trade agreements are about corporate deregulation. Why trade agreements favors tobacco interests over public health. Why the TPP is even worse. Why we can’t combat global warmi...

Political strategist Cliff Schecter explains President Obama’s tortured relationship with his AUMF. What authorization President Obama wants in his military campaign against ISIS. War Powers and the erosion of democracy. Mission creep and Iraq. The coming war between House and Senate Republicans....

Terry Bradshaw does not trust Hillary Clinton on Benghazi, why the anti Muslim video really did play a role in the Benghazi attacks, more accountability for stupidity in today’s world, battle for a major oil refinery in Iraq, why Iraq is falling apart, what airstrikes will mean in Iraq, why the O...

UN Dispatch’s Mark Leon Goldberg explains how Iraq’s government Nouri al Maliki, has been unable to stop growing violence in the country, the violent extremism of ISIS and their political and religious goals, Iraq and Syria and the Sunni Shia divide, how wide is support for ISIS? Kurdish independ...

Journalist Amanda Marcotte explains the “Pick Up artist” community, the junk science behind PUA theory, entitlement and sex, Elliot Rodger’s rage and misogyny, how online dating advice for men mirror traditional gender roles, the misogynist context of the Santa Barbra mass shooting and smart advi...

Political maestro Cliff Schecter explains why we are watching history being made for gay rights, why the right is freaking out, the role of culture in social change, why anti gay bigotry is the Alamo of the right, why the Republican establishment opposed the Arizona gay discrimination bill, why D...

Roosevelt Institute Fellow Mike Konczal explains the problems with implementing Dod Frank, distinct approaches to financial reform, why the last useful financial innovation was the ATM machine, Where President Obama’s financial reform record has been successful, where regulators have failed, how ...

Author of Lawrence In Arabia, Scott Anderson, explained: the slow death of the Ottoman Empire, the four distinct forces driving western intervention in the region, Lawrence’s guilt over his role in British imperialism, what compelled Lawrence of Arabia to turn against the British, the role of Eur...

Cliff Schecter explained why Nancy Pelosi pushed hard against the defund the NSA data collection bill, the distinction between establishment and progressive Democrats, the meaning of President Obama’s new economic address, progressives push for an expansion of Social Security, the Groundswell con...

Investigative reporter Steve Horn explained the legal actions targeting Exxon, how Exxon ignores safety an environmental regulations, why the Keystone XL pipeline is a public health and climate nightmare, what was missing from President Obama’s climate speech, why natural gas is not a “bridge fue...

Cliff Schecter explained how President Obama responded to protester Medea Benjamin’s interruption of his speech, Obama’s encouraging rhetoric on winding down the “War on Terror”,  why Signature Drone strikes are indefensible, why President Obama could have acted much faster on GITMO and what push...

Investigative journalist Tim Shorrock, explained the NSA’s fraud filled “Trailblazer” program, how NSA intelligence was distorted by poorly designed private technology, the four NSA officers who tried to expose fraud and abuse at the agency and how the Obama Administration has pursued a war on wh...

Blogger, Digby explained why the Republicans might not be able to reform on social issues, why Republicans will not reform on their economic extremism, why Democrats are reactive and Republicans are strategic in shaping frameworks, the Sequester is starting to hurt lots of people and why the “gra...

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...

Sam’s responded to Obama’s second inaugural, praised the President’s strong rhetorical defense of the social safety net and his aggressive approach on Gay rights and climate change and thought the country will be better if Obama lives up to his rhetoric.

Mother Jone’s Kevin Drum explained why crime really goes down, what Lead does to the brain, why faddish crime theories don’t explain the drop in crime, ways to measure the connection between Lead and crime,  why comparing crime to an epidemic doesn’t make sense, and why we need to aggressively cl...

Glen Ford, editor of Black Agenda Report, on destructive policies of the Obama administration, the quiescent Left and the collapse of the Black community’s voice in opposing this President.  In the better half, Michele Bachmann on Muslim Brotherhood trail, your calls and IMs.

Acclaimed writer Tom Junod on the targeted killing, drone strikes, capture and kill wars begun by Bush but given a legal and moral apparatus by Obama.  His Esquire article, ”The Lethal Presidency of Barack Obama.”  In the better half, financial confusion a’ la Romney, woman in parallel America ap...

Anti-racist author, activist and teacher Tim Wise on racism, the history and social perception of government programs, group based failure and more.  Your calls and IMs.