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Bernie Is Bringing the Reagan Era to an End:
The Nation podcast 3/24

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Bernie Sanders
is the leading edge of the historical forces bringing the 40-year Reagan era to an end, says Richard Parker of Harvard’s Kennedy School.

Plus: Obama’s legacy for black America is mostly symbolic, Gary Younge argues—the wealth gap between black and white Americans has grown over the last eight years, along with black poverty. Gary writes for The Guardian and The Nation.
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Also: the real politics of hope–and the uncertainty behind it, especially for the climate movement: Rebecca Solnit talks about wild hope, big dreams and high ideals and deep emotions, and a sense that everything can change suddenly.
Her new book is Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities.

Bernie’s Long March: Harold Meyerson on KPFK 3/23

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Today’s political update: HAROLD MEYERSON of The American Prospect comments on how Bernie’s forces are transforming American politics this year and–perhaps–into the future.

Also: An update on the L.A. River: Is it possible to beautify a city, without making it a playground for the elite?  RICHARD KREITNER reports on the threat of gentrification of the riverbanks.  He wrote about it this week for The Nation.

And TOM FRANK looks at the Democrats from the 1990s to the present and asks, whatever happened to the party of the people? His new book is Listen, Liberal.

Bernie Isn’t Finished: TheNation podcast 3-17

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What’s left for Bernie Sanders after Tuesday’s primaries? Plenty of opportunities, says John Nichols—he’s The Nation’s National Affairs correspondent.

Plus: North Carolina’s new voter ID requirements, the most restrictive in the country, went into effect on Tuesday—Ari Berman explains the problem. He is the author of Give Us the Ballot.

And Thomas Frank asks the question: Whatever happened to the party of the people? His new book is Listen, Liberal.

“I Heart Obama”–Erin Aubry Kaplan on KPFK 3/16

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Today we’ll be broadcasting from the Center for Obama Studies, where our guest will be ERIN AUBREY KAPLAN, talking about her new book I Heart Obama.  She was a staff writer for the LA Weekly in its glory days and more recently a weekly op-ed columnist for the LA Times.

Also: HAROLD MEYERSON with our political update on yesterday’s primaries, where–maybe you heard–Hillary triumphed, and so did Trump; Little Marco is out, but Bernie isn’t finished yet.

And everything isn’t politics; there’s also movies.  We’ll speak with A. O. SCOTT, film critic for the NY Times–his new book is Better Living through Criticism: How to Think about Art, Pleasure, Beauty, and Truth.

 

Trump: Fascist or Clown? Nation Podcast 3/10

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Donald Trump: fascist, or clown?  JOHN POWERS
considers the possibilities — John is critic at large on Fresh Air with Terry Gross, where he has an audience of four million.

Also: one of the great political upsets in recent history: Bernie in Michigan.  HAROLD MEYERSON analyzes what happened.  Harold is executive editor of The American Prospect and writes for the LA Times and The Guardian.

Plus: a different kind of politics: the gay revolution. LILLIAN FADERMAN talks about the 50-year fight—the years of outrageous injustice, the early battles, the heartbreaking defeats, and the victories beyond the dreams of the gay-rights pioneers. Her new book is The Gay Revolution.

Bernie Wins Michigan: KPFK 3/9

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Bernie’s big surprise–victory in Michigan!  BRAD FRIEDMAN comments — he’s host of the BradCast on KPFK and of BradBlog.com.
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And we’ll have an eyewitness report on a Donald Trump rally in Jackson from our man in Mississippi, JED OPPENHEIM.

Also:  let’s remember that everything isn’t politics. There’s also music – so Let’s Party Like It’s 1685!  Bach in The Subways returns to LA March 19-21 to celebrate the 331st birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach. There will be free pop-up performances all over LA. DALE HENDERSON will explain.

Donald Trump: Master of Hate: Nation podcast 3/3

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Panic in the GOP establishment over Trump’s triumphs on Super Tuesday; Joan Walsh comments – shes The Nation’s national affairs correspondent.

Plus: What Trump supporters really think. Sasha Abramsky interviewed a bunch of them; he reports regularly on politics for The Nation.

Also: Trump says he reviles Muslims and reveres veterans—but some vets have been speaking out in defense of the Muslims they know and work with. Laila Lalami has that story—she’s The Nation’s newest columnist.

Super Tuesday Post-Mortem: Harold Meyerson on KPFK 3/2

On Super Tuesday we had primary elections in a dozen states, and, in case people have forgotten, the winners were: On the Republican Side, Donald Trump won 7 out of 10 states.  Ted Cruz had to win his home state of Texas—he did – and he also won two others.  Marco Rubio never won any state, until Super Tuesday – he won Minnesota! And John Kasick almost won Vermont!  So we have TWO Republican headlines: One, Trump triumphs; Two, nobody’s getting out.  HAROLD MEYERSON comments.