The Blue Wave: Harold Meyerson; The Springsteen Movie: Greil Marcus; William Randolph Hearst: David Nasaw

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The blue wave – or “blue tsunami” – this week restored the Democrats’ winning coalition: people of color, young people and women. Harold Meyerson on how Tuesday shows us that while “candidate Trump is good for Republican turnout, President Trump is good for Democratic turnout”.

Also: Greil Marcus comments on the new film about Bruce Springsteen writing the songs for his 1982 album “Nebraska”, starring starring Jeremy Allen White of ‘The Bear.” The movie misses the context: working class decline in Reagan’s America. Greil Marcus is the author of two dozen books, including “Mystery Train,” which has just been reissued in a special 50th anniversary edition.

Plus: From the archives: William Randolph Hearst: the media mogul the left loved to hate. David Nasaw discuses his biography “The Chief: The Life of William Randolph Hearst” (first recorded by 2001).  11-7-2025

Dem Voters Triumph; plus That Springsteen Movie

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Democratic candidates won everywhere they ran on Tuesday – Abagail Spanberger and a Democratic state legislature in Virginia, Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey, Gavin Newsom’s redistricting proposition in California, and of course Zohran Mamdani in New York City. Trump didn’t even campaign against any them. John Nichols has our analysis.

Also: Greil Marcus comments on the new film about Bruce Springsteen writing the songs for his 1982 album “Nebraska”, starring starring Jeremy Allen White of ‘The Bear.” The movie misses the context: working class decline in Reagan’s America. Greil Marcus is the author of two dozen books, including “Mystery Train,” which has just been reissued in a special 50th anniversary edition.

Transcript HERE  11-5-2025

Voters and Redistricting: Harold Meyerson; Confederate Monuments: Christopher Knight; Mansplaining: Rebecca Solnit

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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 of The American Prospect explains.

Also: A new art exhibit in Los Angeles, called Monuments, displays 10 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 the art critic for the Los Angeles Times and a winner of the Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

Plus: From the archives, Rebecca Solnit talks about how “Men Explain Things To Me.” (originally broadcast in 2014).  10-31-2024

Voters, Democrats, and Redistricting—Plus, Confederate Monuments in LA

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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.

Transcript HERE  10-30-2025

Trump’s bad week: Harold Meyerson; After No Kings: Rebecca Solnit; Reforming the LAPD: Danny Goldberg

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From the biggest single day of protest in American history – 7 million people demonstrating against Trump – to his worst major poll since he took office in January – it hasn’t been a good week for Trump – unless you count the tearing down of the east wing of the White House. Harold Meyerson comments.

No Kings Day on Oct. 18 was the largest peaceful protest in American history. Rebecca Solnit comments, and refutes Republican statements about violence on the left. Her most recent book is “Orwell’s Roses.”

Also: the fight to control the LA police: a decades long effort that culminated in 1992, after the Rodney King riots, when longtime police chief Darryl Gates was forced out. Danny Goldberg comments – at the time he was board chair of the ACLU of Southern California Foundation, and his new book is “Liberals With Attitude.”  10-24-2025

Rebecca Solnit on No Kings—Plus, Reforming the LAPD after Rodney King

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No Kings Day on Oct. 18 was the largest peaceful protest in American history. Rebecca Solnit comments, and refutes Republican statements about violence on the left. Her most recent book is “Orwell’s Roses.”

Also: the fight to control the LA police: a decades long effort that culminated in 1992, after the Rodney King riots, when longtime police chief Darryl Gates was forced out. Danny Goldberg comments – at the time he was board chair of the ACLU of Southern California Foundation, and his new book is “Liberals With Attitude.”

Transcript HERE  10-22-2025

New Threats from The Supremes: Harold Meyerson; No Kings: Leah Greenberg; “One Battle After Another”: John Powers

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The Supreme Court vs. The Voting Rights Act: The conservative majority of SCOTUS plans to eliminate 12 Democratic seats in the House, currently held by Black representatives. What are the implications for the 2026 midterms; and, what can the Democrats do to counter this latest gerrymandering nightmare? Harold Meyerson comments.

Also: Saturday is the second No Kings Day – it should be the biggest single day of protest in American history, with more than 2,500 events planned. Leah Greenberg will explain the preparations – she’s co-founder of Indivisible, the group that called the first No Kings day, June 14 – five million people participated in that one, held the same day as Trump’s birthday parade – the one no one came to.

Plus: There’s “a forthrightly antifascist film” that critics call “wild and thrilling” — of course, that’s “One Battle After Another,” the Paul Thomas Anderson movie starring Leonardo di Caprio as a burnt out left wing bomber, targeted by an ICE captain played by Sean Penn. John Powers will comment—he’s critic at large on Fresh Air with Terry Gross.  10-17-2025

No Kings Day: “It’s Gonna be Fun,” plus “One Battle After Another”

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Saturday is the second No Kings Day – it should be the biggest single day of protest in American history, with more than 2,500 events planned. Leah Greenberg will explain the preparations – she’s co-founder of Indivisible, the group that called the first No Kings day, June 14 – five million people participated in that one, held the same day as Trump’s birthday parade – the one no one came to.

Also: there’s “a forthrightly antifascist film” that critics call “wild and thrilling” — of course, that’s “One Battle After Another,” the Paul Thomas Anderson movie starring Leonardo di Caprio as a burnt out left wing bomber, targeted by an ICE captain played by Sean Penn. John Powers will comment—he’s critic at large on Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

Transcript HERE  10-15-2025

Peace in Gaza: Harold Meyerson; plus the courts v. Trump: David Cole

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Harold Meyerson comments on what remains to be done for genuine peace in Gaza; he also reviews the National Guard deployments to Portland and Chicago, the upcoming elections in California and elsewhere, and Trump’s latest attacks on universities.

Also: as the Supreme Court begins its new term, Trump lost six different cases in district courts just last week, ranging from bans on deploying the National Guard to defending freedom of speech for noncitizens, to yet another court rejecting his executive order abolishing birthright citizenship. At the same time, Trump is claiming an illegitimate legal basis for ordering the murder of civilians he claims are trafficking in drugs. David Cole will comment—he’s a former national legal director of the ACLU and The Nation’s legal affairs correspondent. 10-10-2025

The Courts vs. Trump—Plus, Gotham at War

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As the Supreme Court begins its new term, Trump lost six different cases in district courts just last week, ranging from bans on deploying the National Guard, to defending freedom of speech for noncitizens, to yet another court rejecting his executive order abolishing birthright citizenship. At the same time, Trump is claiming an illegitimate legal basis for ordering the murder of civilians he claims are trafficing in drugs. David Cole will comment—he’s former national legal director of the ACLU.

Also, There’s a wonderful new history of New York City from the Depression thru WWII, out now – It’s called “Gotham at War,” written by Mike Wallace. He won the Pulitzer Prize in History for the first volume in his “Gotham” series. To talk about ‘Gotham at War,’ we’ll turn to Brenda Wineapple, who writes for the New York Review and the New York Times Book Review; her most recent book is the Scopes trial–it’s called ‘Keeping the Faith.’

Transcript HERE  10-8-2025