The Trump Kids in Trouble: Amy Wilentz; plus Rick Wartzman on jobs and Harold Meyerson on the Senate GOP

Amy Wilentz comments on Jared Kushner’s congressional testimony about that meeting with the Russian promising dirt on Hillary, and 6-year-old Arabella “interrupting” the NY Times interview with Trump in the Oval Office.
Also: Rick Wartzman on the rise and fall of good jobs in America–his new book is The End of Loyalty.
And Harold Meyerson analyzes the latest efforts of Senate Republicans to repeal and replace Obamacare–and considers the Jeff Sessions situation. (recorded Thursday evening, before the vote).
Listen HERE

The Desperation of Donald Trump: David Cole; plus George Zornick on healthcare in the Senate and Joshua Holland on happiness in Denmark

David Cole, legal director of the ACLU and The Nation’s legal-affairs correspondent, argues that Trump would only be talking about pardoning himself if he was desperate—because he knows what the special counsel is likely to find—and is thus willing to pay a tremendous political price to avoid impeachment.
Plus: The Senate GOP healthcare bill is confusing—that’s the way they want it, says George Zornick: It’s their only chance of repealing Obamacare. (recorded Tuesday afternoon, before their bill failed).
And Joshua Holland explains why Danes are so much happier than Americans: It’s not just because Donald Trump is not their president.  Josh wrote and narrated the animated video at TheNation.com.
Listen HERE

Jeff Sessions should be impeached, not fired: John Nichols; plus Al Franken

John Nichols of The Nation opens the show with comments on Jeff Sessions‘s past, present, and possible future–Sessions is featured in John’s forthcoming book, Horsemen of the Trumpocalypse.
And Al Franken talks about the dangers of humor in politics, about the voters who supported Trump, and the need for a public option in health care in America. He also answers the question, “Is Jeff Sessions a lying little weasel”? His new book, a numer one bestseller, is Al Franken: Master of the Senate.
Listen HERE

Trump’s Troubled Top Attorney; plus The Children’s Hour–Don Jr., Jared, Ivanka, and Eric

Bob Dreyfuss reports on the lawyers on both sides of the Russia investigations, starting with Mark Kasowitz, Trump’s longtime personal attorney, who is also working for Russian bankers connected to the meeting with Don Jr. at Trump Tower. Also: the deep challenges facing Trump’s legal team.
Plus: Amy Wilentz with The Children’s Hour: news about Don Jr., Jared, Ivanka, and Eric—boy, are those kids in trouble this week!  One big question: Why were Jared and Ivanka partying with Chuck Schumer in the Hamptons last week?
And Suzanne Gordon argues, in the wake of the Republicans’ failure to repeal or replace Obamacare, that the VA provides a strong example of healthcare for America—better in many ways than Medicare for all.
Listen HERE

 Al Franken: Is Jeff Sessions a Lying Little Weasel?

Questions for Al Franken, and answers, about Trump voters, Bernie voters, and Russians.  Our Q&A for “Start Making Sense,” The Nation’s weekly podcast, edited and condensed for print.  His new book is Al Franken: Giant of the Senate.
(His answer to the question, “Is Jeff Sessions a Lying Little Weasel?”: “That’s not how I would characterize the attorney general of the United States.”
Read HERE

Naomi Klein: No is Not Enough

It’s not enough to say “no” to Trump, Naomi Klein argues; we need to transform ourselves and our movement to bring about the change we need.  Her new book is No is Not Enough.
And we revisit our 2003 interview with Al Franken about his number one bestseller, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them. Now he has a new number=one bestseller: Al Franken, Giant of the Senate.
Listen HERE

 Al Franken Versus the De-Humorizer

Al Franken talks about the dangers of humor in politics, about the voters who supported Trump, the “deep hole” Attorney General Jeff Sessions has dug for himself, and the need for a public option in health care in America.  His new book is Al Franken: Giant of the Senate.
Also: Joan Walsh comments on Donald Trump Jr.’s meeting with a Russian government representative promising dirt on Hillary: It may make him a criminal, and it certainly made him a liar.
And Ari Berman explains what the Russians did to hack voting, and what it would take to make our systems less vulnerable—and why Trump’s commission on “electoral integrity” should be disbanded.
Listen HERE

Amy Wilentz: Does Jared Kushner Know Anything About the Countries He’s Supposed to Be Doing Diplomacy With?

Q.  Jared Kushner, the most trusted man in the Trump White House, has been on page one of the Los Angeles Times recently. One story was headlined, “Nations feel cut off from the Trump White House.” What was that about?
Amy Wilentz: Trump has a problem, especially at the State Department: He has not made appointments or filled ambassadorships throughout the world. So foreign ministries don’t know how to communicate. They’re used to dealing with the desk and the ambassador from the United States, who know about their area or their specific country, and that doesn’t exist right now. So they’re calling Jared. It’s kind of frightening, because he doesn’t really know anything about these places.
… continued HERE

Trump’s voting commission fiasco: John Nichols; plus ‘Our Dishonest President” and Young voters and old socialists.

45 out of 50 of the state governments are resisting Trump’s voting commission, headed by Mike Pence and Kris Kobach – even the red states. And the five others are not complying; they simply haven’t decided yet. It’s pretty amazing — John Nichols comments, HERE.
Also: The LA Times series of editorials about Trump, titled “Our Dishonest President,” was published as a book on July 4. When they first appeared online they got more than seven million page views. Nick Goldberg, editor of the paper’s editorial pages, explains what the series argued, and why it was such a success.
Plus: young people are voting – for old socialists – in many countries. Why is that? Sarah Leonard has some answers; she wrote about it for the New York Times op-ed page.
Listen HERE