The Majority Report with Sam Seder

Welcome to Majority.FM's AM QUICKIE! Brought to you by justcoffee.coop

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Republican Dan Bishop, the anti-trans bathroom-bill guy, narrowly wins last night’s special election in North Carolina. 

Meanwhile, the census finds that the number of Americans without health coverage is growing despite a strong economy.

And lastly, United Nations investigators say U.S.-led forces may have committed war crimes in Syria.

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

A report from NBC News reveals that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has been blocking state law enforcement agencies from investigating student loan service companies by refusing to provide states with information relating to allegations of illegal activity in multiple states.

The Washington Post reports that the Trump administration’s plan to overhaul the housing finance system will make mortgages more expensive for minority borrowers and aspiring homeowners in the South, the Midwest and rural communities.

A new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds Trump is falling badly behind all of the leading Democratic contenders. At the top is Joe Biden who leads Trump by 15 points, Bernie Sanders by nine points, and Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris both have a seven-point edge over the president.

And a new CNN poll finds 60% of Americans say Donald Trump doesn’t deserve to be re-elected. Trump’s approval rating remains about where it was in mid-August, with 39% approving of the job he’s doing and 55% disapproving.

Direct download: 091119_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:00am EDT

Peter Edelman (@peterbedelman), Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Law and Public Policy and the faculty director of the Center on Poverty and Inequality at Georgetown University Law Center, joins us to discuss his book, Not a Crime to Be Poor: The Criminalization of Poverty in America.

On today's show: Trump says Bahamas refugees need paperwork for visas because "very bad people" will come.

Peter Edelman (@peterbedelman), Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Law and Public Policy and the faculty director of the Center on Poverty and Inequality at Georgetown University Law Center, joins us to discuss his book, Not a Crime to Be Poor: The Criminalization of Poverty in America. Despite being one of the richest countries on earth, America often treats its poorest citizens like criminals. In this book, Edelman traces the history of programs designed to help the poor and what went wrong in the neoliberal era that policymakers began criminalizing poverty and denying poor people, particularly poor people of color, the chance to get ahead.

On the fun half: Trump fear mongers about sanctuary cities, refugees, and voter fraud. John Bolton fired! Brian Kilmeade reads a text where he claims he resigned. The crew debates a libertarian caller. Trump says he will release "extremely complete" financial statements before 2020 election. Laura Ingraham doesn't expect NFL player to defend black college athletes who have been exploited by college athletic system. CAP lays off, replaces entire unionized news room; Neera Tanden tweets supporting unions through the years. Valerie Plame's spy movie 2020 Congressional race ad is crazy. A plug for WYOSayNo!, a progressive activist org in Wyoming.

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Get involved with Close The Camps NYC's non-violent direct action this coming weekend at closethecampsnyc.com or visit closethecamps.us to find actions in your area!

Get your tickets to the Goth Socialist Variety Hour w/ The Antifada and Pod Damn America October 12 at Littlefield NYC here!

Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks live show in Philadelphia on Saturday November 23rd (the weekend before thanksgiving) with special guests Krystal Ball and Emma Vigeland! Get your tickets here.

Check out Jamie’s write-up of the 2019 DSA convention at Commune Magazine!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the new TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips

Check out Matt’s podcast, Literary Hangover, at Patreon.com/LiteraryHangover or on iTunes.

Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or on the new Antifada Youtube channel

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@Bf1nn

Direct download: 9-10-19-Peter_Edelman-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:07pm EDT

Welcome to Majority.FM's AM QUICKIE! Brought to you by justcoffee.coop

 

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

The United States is forced to pull an elite spy out of Moscow after Trump gave classified information to the Russians during an Oval Office meeting.

Meanwhile, almost every state in the Union is investigating Google now, sharply escalating the regulatory scrutiny facing the tech giant.

And lastly, tonight’s $20 million special election in North Carolina could be a preview of the bloodbath Republican are facing in 2020. 

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

Former congressional candidate Jon Ossoff said he will challenge Republican U.S. Sen. David Perdue of Georgia. Ossoff says he will expand the network of supporters who helped him raise roughly $30 million in a 2017 special election he lost to Republican Karen Handel.

The Intercept has revealed that a Koch owned data mining company has been helping GOP candidates win elections by flooding voters with anti-immigrant online messages. 

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced the Trump administration is considering “Tax Cuts 2.0” ahead of the 2020 presidential election… 

And a new poll from ABC News and the Washington Post finds that 60% of Americans believe a recession is coming next year, helping to drop Donald Trump’s job approval rating down to 38%.

Direct download: 091019_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:17am EDT

Good morning, journalist Christopher Leonard joins Sam to discuss his new book The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America. Join us at noon ET. Leonard's latest work has received high praise from leading journalists like Jane Mayer and Bryan Burrough because of its exhaustive research into the Koch's incredible private business network that exists across all planes of American life. Leonard explains how the Koch's business portfolio and its commodity research put the family business in the middle of all American life, from the things we buy to the government that legislates our society. Sam and Leonard explore the contradictions at the heart of the Koch family's libertarian philosophies, where the Kochs are the entrenched status-quo benefiting from government environmental policies and government subsidies which allow their oil refineries to thrive. Another foundational element of the Koch Brothers success is its status as a private company. Charles Koch never needed to answer to shareholders and could reinvest profits into the company, buy competitors, and enter new industries essential to American consumers. Sam and Leonard conclude their discussion examining the anti-union practices designed by Koch Industries and how those methods have increased worker productivity and reduced real wages over the past three decades. Looking towards the post-Charles Koch Industries, Leonard believes the future is still uncertain. While Charles' son Chase seems groomed for the next generation of Koch leadership, Leonard also thinks Charles' thinking has been embedded in the company's culture and will live on well after the longtime CEO's death. 

And in the Fun Half: CBP and USCIS test a border shutdown scenario with Bahaman refugees, Mike Pompeo threatens Taliban with war, Ben Shapiro says we can't make policy because of personal or moral failings, the case for reparations in 2019, the latest polls and reading the tea leaves of Biden's campaign, the popularity of the Green New Deal, what the next recession might look like, Pam Anderson explains her support for Julian Assange on The View, Elizabeth Warren pivots away from questions about her foreign policy and military budget votes, Mark Sanford thinks conservatives will vote for him in a 2020 GOP primary because of the deficit, a gun goes off outside an Alabama HS football game and we're freer than ever, plus your calls and IMs!

Become a member of the Majority Report today, join here!

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks live show in Philadelphia on Saturday November 23rd (the weekend before thanksgiving) with special guests Krystal Ball and Emma Vigeland! Get your tickets here.

Check out Jamie’s write-up of the 2019 DSA convention at Commune Magazine!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the new TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips

Check out Matt’s podcast, Literary Hangover, at Patreon.com/LiteraryHangover or on iTunes.

Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or on the new Antifada Youtube channel

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@Bf1nn

Direct download: 9-9-19-Christopher_Leonard-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:54pm EDT

Welcome to Majority.FM's AM QUICKIE! Brought to you by justcoffee.coop

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

The US Air Force admits their crews have been staying a Trump's struggling Scottish resort a lot more since he became president.

Meanwhile, Corey Lewandowski is set to become the first Trump associate to have a public hearing with House Judiciary Committee.

And lastly, Hong Kong warns the United States Congress to stay out of their affairs after thousands of demonstrators march on the U.S. Consulate on Sunday to appeal for support from Washington.

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford formally announced his bid to challenge President Donald Trump for the White House on Sunday. He faces long odds in a fractured Republican Party.

CNBC reports that JPMorgan has created an index to track and quantify Trump’s tweets and their impact on bond volatility and the financial market.

Reuters is reporting that nearly a week after Hurricane Dorian made landfall, some 70,000 people are in need of food and shelter. Private forecasters estimated that some $3 billion in insured property was destroyed or damaged in the Caribbean.

And lastly, a Texas man was arrested in New York City on Saturday after he attacked the famous Wall Street bull with homemade banjo while screaming 'Fuck Donald Trump,' leaving a hole in its horn.

Direct download: 090919_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:02am EDT

Vox's Dave Roberts (@drvox) and Film Guy Matthew Weiss (@langdonboom) join us for Casual Friday.

On today's show: Biden wants to bring back CAFE standards at CNN town hall, spins his wheels, rambles.

Vox's Dave Roberts (@drvox) of Vox.com joins us to recap CNN's climate town hall. Who distinguished themselves, who looked foolish, and why did audience members have better questions than Wolf Blitzer? Bernie explains his labor bona fides and his commitment to a just transition. Warren says she doesn't want to nationalize energy utilities.

Film Guy Matthew (@langdonboom) joins us for some film talk. Kevin Sorbo antifa movie "Reliant": amazing, or the most amazing? A survey of what played at the Great Lakes Christian Film Festival. Matthew recommends the films of Hong Sangsoo, specifically: "In Another Country," "Right Now, Wrong Then" and Tale of Cinema."

Check out Matthew's work at Vimeo and more of his film picks at Letterboxd!

Flashback: Bill Burton risks the imagination of a new kind of possibility. Dave Rubin explains new show member terms of service. Ben Shapiro says left is implementing "top down policy," setting "dangerous precedent" with boycott of Walmart. Fox and Friends asks cops if they've been assaulted, nobody raises hands.

Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com!

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks live show in Philadelphia on Saturday November 23rd (the weekend before thanksgiving) with special guests Krystal Ball and Emma Vigeland! Get your tickets here

Check out Jamie's write-up of the 2019 DSA convention at Commune Magazine!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the new TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips

Check out Matt’s podcast, Literary Hangover, at Patreon.com/LiteraryHangover or on iTunes.

Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or on the new Antifada Youtube channel

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@Bf1nn

Direct download: 9-6-19-Dave_Roberts-Matthew_Weiss-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:54pm EDT

Welcome to Majority.FM's AM QUICKIE! Brought to you by justcoffee.coop

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo wants to move the state’s presidential primary to February, which will definitely not help his good friend Joe Biden in anyway I’m sure. 

Meanwhile, the president of the coal miner’s union says “nobody” saved the coal industry. I think he means Trump. 

And lastly, protesters swarm an Amazon office near Boston over its contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

Michigan State University will be fined a record $4.5 million over its handling of sexual abuse allegations against Larry Nassar, the sports doctor who treated Olympic gymnasts and was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison after more than 150 women and girls said he had sexually abused them.

NBC News reports the death toll in the Bahamas has risen to 30 and is expected to rise dramatically in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, which pummeled the islands with sustained 180 mph winds for over a day and a half.

From Politico; Republican parties in South Carolina, Nevada, Arizona, and Kansas are expected to cancel their primaries to help make life hard for any of Trump’s Republican challengers. 

And Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has finally given up on his ridiculous campaign for the White House. In a letter to supporters, the billionaire said he’ll instead spend his warchest—said to be more than $100 million—on political reform and attempts to reduce inequality.

Direct download: 090619_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 8:08am EDT

On today's program, Michael Brooks hosts journalist Ronan Burtenshaw to discuss his latest in the Jacobin"Only Corbynism Can Defeat Boris." Join us as Brooks and Burtenshaw discuss how only a distinct democratic socialist position can defeat the right's No-Deal Brexit plan. Brooks and Burtenshaw review recent parliamentary history in the UK which has allowed for "zombie governments" to continue ruling while they do not have the votes necessary to administrate change. Brooks recounts Boris Johnson's political rise in the UK and how it compares and contrasts with Trump's "populism" in the United States. Burtenshaw says Johnson's PMQ (Prime Minister Questions) sessions were supposed to be a strength for the new PM. However, it has been a rather disastrous strategy for Johnson, where opponents like Corbyn have made Johnson look politically lost. Johnson now looks to switch gears, moving to the campaign trail, where he is heading to Wakefield, a Northern England working-class town, flanked by police to call for more "law and order" across the UK. Brooks and Burtenshaw also take a look at Dominic Cummings, Johnson's chief political advisor who was most recently the director of the Vote Leave movement which brought us to Brexit. Burtenshaw says Cummings understands that the most popular policies are left redistributive economics and right-wing nationalist sentiments. Cummings knows that the "moderate" positions in Parliament do not represent the interests of voters. 

Burtenshaw acknowledges that the new concern for the left in the UK is the realignment of class interests. Burtenshaw feels there are two paths to defeat Johnson. One is coalescing around the liberal center, pulling the labor party to the right with a broad alliance that is upholding "sensible policy." Burtenshaw thinks this board coalition that defends the status quo will not win because people are tired of waiting for things to get better in a political system that does not listen to them. Instead, Burtenshaw argues the Labor party should point out the Tory party's leaders and their interest in the financial sector, real estate, and the private school systems. The Tories will have to respond to this and forced to defend these deeply unpopular interests. Brooks and Burtenshaw conclude their discussion with policy proposals that Labor and the left can embrace and run on during the upcoming elections. 

And in the Fun Half: an update on the situation in Kashmir, Bernie on reproductive rights and climate catastrophe, Dave Rubin's Hitler apologia, Seb Gorka is hawking fish oil pills, Kamala Harris frames the climate crisis in the worst way possible, Warren makes clear personal consumption choices are not systemic reform, Bernie explains how a climate reform can curb military spending, Biden is off to a fossil fuel executive's fundraiser less than 24 hours after the Climate Town Hall, the "ethics" of "voting" "conversation," the UN Human Rights Council says the US, UK, and France are responsible for great human rights violations, plus your calls and IMs!

Become a member of the Majority Report today!

Today's show is supported by:
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Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the new TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips

Check out Matt’s podcast, Literary Hangover, at Patreon.com/LiteraryHangover or on iTunes.

Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or on the new Antifada Youtube channel

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@Bf1nn

Direct download: 9-5-19-Ronan_Burtenshaw-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:17pm EDT

Welcome to Majority.FM's AM QUICKIE! Brought to you by justcoffee.coop

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Joe Biden—who once promised not to take any money from the fossil fuel industry—is scheduled today to attend a fundraiser that’s tied to—you guessed it—a fossil fuel company.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon decides to take money budgeted for schools and daycare to pay for Trump's dumb fence-wall-thing.

And lastly, Republican congressman Steve King claims he drank from a toilet in a migrant detention center. His review? “It’s actually pretty good!” 

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

House Democratic Caucus chairman Hakeem Jeffries announced Wednesday that he is cosponsoring Medicare for All" legislation— a smart move considering Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is actively seeking to recruit a left-wing challenger to replace Jeffries in 2020. 

From Politico; the House Judiciary Committee has subpoenaed the Department of Homeland Security for documents connected to Donald Trump's alleged offer to pardon officials who break the law while carrying out his immigration agenda.

Right Wing Watch reports that Alex Jones and his attorneys were denied an appeal regarding a lawsuit that alleges Infowars broadcast defamatory comments regarding the father of a child murdered in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary.

And the Daily Beast is reporting that Jacob Wohl, the serially incompetent right wing grifter known for his spectacular blunders, is wanted on a felony arrest warrant in California for the unlawful sale of securities. 

Direct download: 090519_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:06am EDT

On today's show, Steven Greenhouse (@greenhousenyt), author of, Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present and Future of American Labor. Sam and Greenhouse begin their conversation distinguishing the differences between labor and union power and a brief history of how labor gained strength during the FDR New Deal era. Union strength peaked in the 1950s and helped build the American middle class as we recognize it today. Greenhouse argues that the contemporary worker has the least power he or she has had since before the National Labor Relations Rights Act, which manifests itself in workers lacking paid sick leave and mandatory time off. Likewise, the decline in union membership helped provide the slim margin of victory for Trump. Take Wisconsin, which saw a 44% decline in union membership during Scott Walker's tenure as governor, over 177,000 workers. Given the assault on labor power over the last several decades, how can worker power reassert itself in the political landscape and rebuild strength? Greenhouse says the 2020 Democratic primary has shown a necessary change in the political discourse with candidates like Sanders centering policy proposals on union expansion. Sam and Greenhouse also consider policies like card check to make union organizing simpler. Sam and Greenhouse conclude their conversation discussing the extinction of labor reporting in American journalism. 

And in the Fun Half: mass shooter designed schools are under construction, the right is saying don't challenge the lawful gun owners, or they'll kill, Meghan McCain is so tired of liberals "virtue signaling" about mass shootings and not wanting to be killed, some Sam career advice, building coalitions across the left spectrum of politics, the best clips from PMQ at the yesterday's House of Commons session in the UK, Mike Pence is in Ireland and loving his stay (at a Trump resort), Hasan Minhaj surprises PM Trudeau with criticism of Canada's arm sales to Saudi Arabia, Ben Shapiro minimizes Trump's insane idea to nuke hurricanes, plus your calls and IMs!

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Become a member of the Majority Report today!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the new TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips

Check out Matt’s podcast, Literary Hangover, at Patreon.com/LiteraryHangover or on iTunes.

Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or on the new Antifada Youtube channel:http://youtube.com/theantifada

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@Bf1nn

Direct download: 9-4-19-Steven_Greenhouse-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:30pm EDT