Living in the USA

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Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill: Harold Meyerson says he won’t reduce it. Also: the Republicans, and the impeachment.
Plus: Biden and Black America: Barbara Ransby comments.
And Ella Taylor reviews “Dear Comrades!”, the Russian film about a massacre of striking workers in Russia in 1962.
Finally, we remember Rennie Davis — he died on Feb. 2.   2-4-2021

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Joe Biden’s first week was filled with bold and necessary executive orders, and a plan to pass pandemic economic relief, before the impeachment trial, without Republican support–Harold Meyerson of The American Prospect explains.
also: Gary Younge talks about the coming fight with Trump and Trumpsim, starting with the insurrection of January 6.  Key question: what was the plan?
plus: Ella Taylor reviews “White Tiger,” the Indian rags-to-riches film that combines satire, melodrama and action film. 1-28-2021

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The inauguration of Joe Biden was delightfully normal–Harold Meyerson comments on what happened — and what didn’t.
Plus: Alan Minsky, Executive Director of Progressive Democrats of America, discusses the challenges facing the Congressional Progressive Caucus–and the opportunities.
And our film and TV critic Ella Taylor reviews “Assassins,” an amazing documentary about the assassination of the brother of Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, in Kuala Lampur airport, by two teenage girls. 1-21-2020

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The impeachment vote barely papered over the growing crisis in the Republican party, says Harold Meyerson of The American Prospect. Harold comments also on security at the Biden inauguration.
Also: Eric Foner provides some historical perspective on the attack last week on the capitol.
Plus: Ella Taylor talks about the new documentary “MLK/FBI”, on J. Edgar Hoover’s attempt to “destroy” Martin Luther King–“destroy” is the FBI’s own term.
And finally, the PGA is cancelling their longstanding plans to hold the US Open at Trump’s Bedminster golf course in New Jersey. Trump, we are told, is more devastated by this than by impeachment. The legendary sportswriter Robert Lipsyte comments on Trump and golf. (broadcast originally in August 2017)  1-14-2021

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The Trump mob attack on the capitol should have been expected, says Harold Meyerson–Trump himself had been calling for it for weeks. But it signals an irreparable split in the Republican Party.
Also: Priorities for vaccination against covid-19 need to be based both on science and on ethics – Gregg Gonsalves explains.
And Ella Taylor talks about the documentary “Dissident,” on the murder of Jamal Kashoggi, and the Tom Hanks western, “News of the World.” 1-7-2021

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A year, and a decade, of political challenges: Joan Walsh reviews the fall and rise of Kamala Harris, the return of Joe Biden, and the deepening problem posed over the last decade by white voters who now support Trump.
Also, Amy Wilentz looks back on how things went in 2020 for Ivanka, Jared, Don Junior and Little Eric.
And Ella Taylor talks about her favorite films of 2020 – starting with Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, starring Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman—his last film. 12-31-2020

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2020 began with Kamala Harris dropping out of the first primary, and is ending with Trump blowing up the Republican Party – it was also the year of the biggest protests in American history, organized by Black Lives Matter. Harold Meyerson comments.
And we’re still thinking about John le Carré, who died last week—he was 89, and one of the greats, author of two dozen books people called “spy novels,” although they were much more than that. John Powes comments — he’s critic-at-large on Fresh Air with Terry Gross. 12-23-2020

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This week the US began vaccinating people against covid-19, and we consider proposals to establish a coronavirus commission, empowered to investigate the many failures in the fight against covid-19: is that something progressives should fight for? Mike Davis says “Yes” – and explains what’s at stake.
Also: Will Donald Trump pardon Ivanka and Jared—and Don Junior and Eric? What exactly are their crimes? It sounds like it’s time for another episode of The Children’s Hour—with Amy Wilentz.
Plus: John le Carré died on Saturday—he was 89 and one of the greats, author of two dozen books about the cold war and after; people called them “spy novels,” although they were much more than that. Ella Taylor reviews the best of the movies and TV mini-series based on the books, especially Alec Guiness as George Smiley.  12-17-2020

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L.A. elected a new progressive district attorney last month – George Gascon – and he just announced the sweeping changes he will make, starting with an end to cash bail and to sentencing “enhancements.” Jody Armour explains: he’s the Roy Crocker Professor of Law at USC, and his new book is “N*gga Theory: Race, language, unequal justice, and the law.”
Also: last week the Supreme Court heard arguments on Trump’s effort to change the way seats in the House of Representatives are apportioned.
It has been based on a state’s total population, as the Constitution requires; he wants to exclude the undocumented, which would mean California would lose 2 or 3 seats. David Cole reviews the arguments—he’s national legal director of the ACLU.
Plus: Our TV critic Ella Taylor talks about the documentary “Coded Bias,” and the women of color, scientists, who organized the Algorhythm Justice League; plus the Kate Winslet film “Ammonite,” and “Driveways,” Brian Dennehy’s last movie. 12-10-2020

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Joe Biden got six million more votes than Donald Trump—so how come the Democrats did so poorly in the Senate and House elections? Harold Meyerson has an analysis – and some comments on how the Dems could win the Georgia Senate runoff.
Also: how are the Trump kids dealing with the refusal of their father to admit he lost the election? Amy Wilentz will comment—on another episode of The Children’s Hour, stories about Ivanka, Don Junior, Little Eric—and Lara. But who IS Lara Trump? Answers, later in this hour.
Plus our TV critic Ella Taylor talks about the series of five films about West Indians living in London in the sixties and seventies, made by Steve McQueen, the British artist and filmmaker—it’s play now on Amazon Prime. It’s called “Small Axe.”  12-3-2020