Today on a Michael Thursday Libby Watson joins the show to discuss the latest on Brexit and how the shutdown is effecting life in DC. We're live at 12:00 PM EST. Libby joins Michael to discuss the latest on Brexit and where we go from the recently narrowly defeated no-confidence vote. The Tories and Liberal Democrats are terrified of new general elections and particularly one where the Labour party is led by the Absolute Boy, Jeremy Corbin. At the same time, the EU does not appear to be budging on its Brexit deal. A no-deal Brexit is becoming a more likely reality with each passage day. Libby explains the role of UKIP in Brexit and Nigel Farage, whose party has no power in parliament but is constantly on television to explain Brexit to viewers. And with all the attention on Teresa May's role and failures in Brexit, David Cameron--who held the Brexit referendum--has really walked out of frame without much attention. Michael and Libby end their conversation talking about the New York Times' failures to call racism out when they see it, the White House staff and its revolving door with K Street.

In the Fun Half: A new listener-made Steven Crowder challenge video, how MR got one listener off Sam Harris, why we need a global-left solidarity with the Rojava Kurds, Raygun shares the story of his client who is a mother of six who is in the process of being deported by ICE, Steny Hoyer needs his retirement gold watch, The View's two fail-daughters say the 42% of Americans who want the wall are not racist, Tucker Carlson explains why the Green New Deal is a Russian psy-op, plus your calls and IMs!

11 AM Majority Report tomorrow!

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The Michael Brooks Show live! @ The Bell House, February 1st 2019. Pre-order tickets here.

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Today's Majority Report is the live show from this Sunday's Brooklyn PodFest at the Bell House. Watch as the crew breaks down the week's news, Sam makes some big campaign announcements, and special guest H. Jon Benjamin shows off a new look which reminds us of a certain infamous Trump official.  Sam also previews his 30-minute call with an "IRS agent," plus the new anti-MR viral video sweeping the internet, the grassroots online campaign #GottaJump. We're back tomorrow, live with a Michael Thursday!

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The Michael Brooks Show live! @ The Bell House, February 1st 2019. Pre-order tickets here.

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

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On today's show: Trump describes the meal he's paying for and hosting at White House for Clemson: "Great American food!" AG nominee William Barr gives opening statement at confirmation hearing. Republicans finally censure Steve King for his overt racism. Chuck Grassley endorses King in 2018 race. Jonathan Chait accuses Warren of "selling out" to "powerful interests" because she sided with teachers against charter schools.

On the fun half: Aerial footage from first day of LA teachers strike. Rand Paul travels to Canada for surgery. Rand Paul compares socialized healthcare to slavery in 2011. Should we treat centrist Democrats any differently than we treat Ana Navarro? Chuds angered by Gillette's ads themed around #metoo, toxic masculinity. Trump compares the wall to the Louisiana purchase. Trump updates farmers on his wall demands, breaking new ground in sentence structure. Tulsi Gabbard says some forms of torture are necessary.

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The Michael Brooks Show live! @ The Bell House, February 1st 2019. Pre-order tickets here.

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Historian Jack Kelly, author of The Edge of Anarchy: The Railroad Barons, the Gilded Age, and the Greatest Labor Uprising in America, joins us.

Trump says he has no problem releasing his conversation with Putin in long, defensive monologue to Jeanine Pirro.

Labor historian Jack Kelly joins us to discuss his new book, The Edge of Anarchy: The Railroad Barons, the Gilded Age, and the Greatest Labor Uprising in America. In this book, Kelly looks back on the labor movement of the late 1800s, a time when the country was in recession and unions had yet to gain a foothold. Bezos-like robber baron George Pullman wielded the full power of the state against striking railway workers, but a labor movement led in part by socialist Eugene Debs fought bravely to win concessions that lasted decades. What lessons can we take from this time as we live through a new Gilded Age?

On the fun half: GOP leader Kevin McCarthy says Steve King "will be dealt with," provides no details as to how. The difference in news coverage of Rashida Tlaib  saying a swear vs. Steve King's white nationalism. Trump continues his unhinged rant re: Putin convo cover-up, attempts to pivot to the economy. Elizabeth Warren's foreign policy shortcomings. Ainsley Earhardt lies about AOC's proposal for 70% top marginal tax rate. John "torture memo" Yoo says the president can legally build the wall. Footage of LA teachers striking. Lin-Manuel Miranda's complicity with disaster capitalism in Puerto Rico. Plus, your calls and IMs!

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The Michael Brooks Show live! @ The Bell House, February 1st 2019. Pre-order tickets here.

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

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Benjamin Dixon (@BenjaminPDixon ) and Film Guy Matthew Weiss join us for Casual Friday.

On today's show: Heartland Institute researcher says Green New Deal is "nothing more than a socialist Trojan horse."

Benjamin Dixon (@BenjaminPDixon ) of The North Star joins us to break down the least news from Washington: The government shutdown, progressive Dems vs. centrist Dems, top marginal tax rates, Elizabeth Warren, and Trump's wall.

Film Guy Matthew (@langdonboom) joins us to discuss life in Florida and recommend some films: Scarecrow featuring Al Pacino, The Friends of Eddie Coyle featuring Robert Mitchum, James Baldwin doc I Am Not Your Negro, and The Intruder featuring William Shatner. Sam tries his hand at being a film guy and recommends Force Majeure.

On the fun half: Atlanta TSA protests shutdown. Lou Dobbs says GOP needs to "sweep aside recalcitrant left." Mo Brooks doesn't think climate change is worthy of a national emergency. Steve "white supremacist" King's most recent appearances on Tucker Carlson. Studio audience member on BBC talk show asks: "Can we stop feeling sorry for Teresa May?" Kamala Harris stakes out her "hope and fight" position on Stephen Colbert. Nancy Pelosi told Chuck Todd she would love to have single-payer if it were possible, but it's not. Plus, your calls and IMs!

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The Michael Brooks Show live! @ The Bell House, February 1st 2019. Pre-order tickets here.

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

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Joining correspondent Michael Brooks on today's program is Steven A. Cook (@stevenacook), the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, to discuss the status of America's Syria withdrawal and how Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and John Bolton's cancelled meeting can help explain where the US Turkish relationship stands.

The Trump administration's foreign policy agenda hardly seems to have any guiding vision at all--it looks more like bad improv that could bring mass suffering.  The basic premise of withdrawing from Syria is a positive one for US forces, but is it primarily a move to placate Turkey after the Khashoggi murder fallout? Cook explains how Trump and Erdogan discussed a withdrawal from Syria for over a month. According to Cook, Trump did not know that YPG, the Kurdish allies fighting alongside US forces in Syria, was considered a "terrorist organization" by Turkey and Erdogan. Trump then saw an opportunity to satisfy the wishes of Turkey and his base by pulling out of Syria. Looming over this development is the status of ISIS. Cook breaks down the history of Turkey's conflict between Syrian Kurds, ISIS, and explains and why American forces did and didn't intervene.

If any of this confuses you, we got you covered. Cook helps explains the difference between the PKK (Kurdistan) and YPG (Syrian Kurds) and their respective actions in their fight for autonomy in Turkey and Syria. The PKK helped set up the YPG, there is a linkage between the two, there are fighters working for both outfits which is a result of the nature of the conflict in Syria. Brooks explains that PKK have indeed employed violent tactics in order to establish their commendable social democratic ends--tactics not dissimilar from those used by the IRA in Northern Ireland.  American foreign policy experts are now considering whether or not to consider these Kurdish fighters are a terrorist organization. The Turks are pushing experts in Washington to lump Kurds into the same category of threat as ISIS and Al Qaeda.

Trump waffling on the US forces departure makes the Syrian conflict more complex. However, it also signals open season for bad actors in the region. For context, after Trump's announcement Saudi Arabia rewrote its defense doctrine, allowing its armed forces to continue its bombing campaign in Yemen. Further, Turkey calling the Kurds terrorists shows that once US troops are out of Syria there will like be a direct conflict between Turkey and the Kurds.

If that was not enough Middle Eastern policy for you, Brooks and Cook serve up a quick rundown of el-Sisi's Egypt after Sec. of State Mike Pompeo delivered a proverbial green light speech to the dictator's leadership today.

And in the Fun Half: Trump knows his "absolute right" to declare a national emergency for the wall, Pelosi slams Trump's inherited wealth after he left negotiations with Democratic leadership, Trump's cartel car came after watching "Fast & Furious 4," Mike Pence defends the president's temper tantrum "he brought candy!" Anna Pressley stands in solidarity with furloughed federal workers, Mike Pompeo's American empire doesn't meet its own imperialist standards, Kamala Harris defended the idea of AOC's proposals on the View, a "rational republican?" How the Overton window has moved on billionaires, plus your calls and IMs!

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The Michael Brooks Show live! @ The Bell House, February 1st 2019. Pre-order tickets here.

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

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Kris C. Miler, author of Poor Representation: Congress and the Politics of Poverty in the United States, joins us.

On today's show: Los Angeles teachers prepare to go on strike. AOC talks about the moral crisis at the border.

Kris C. Miler, professor of political science at the University of Maryland, joins us to discuss her new book, Poor Representation: Congress and the Politics of Poverty in the United States. In this book, Miler examines why the interests of the poor are so seldom represented in US Congress, even by representatives from poorer districts. Examining the poor as a distinct constituency, she outlines various aspects of the problem and lays out some ideas for how to get more and better programs targeted at the poor.

On the fun half: Dave Rubin says all walls are moral. Bernie responds to Trump's speech, says the real crisis is lack of healthcare coverage, student debt, seniors living in poverty. Shep Smith and Chris Wallace fact check Trump's speech on Fox News. Ainsley Earhardt tells Fox viewers "you're paying $80,000 in taxes for one illegal," lists killings and rapes committed by immigrants. Boris Epshteyn concern trolls about how Jewish constituents of Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi might feel about them not supporting anti-BDS bill. Mayor Bill DeBlasio introduces public healthcare option for all NYC residents. Dem chairman requests CBO report on single-payer healthcare. Plus, your calls and IMs!

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Nomiki Konst is running for public advocate! Find details on her January 10th fundraiser in NYC here.

The Michael Brooks Show live! @ The Bell House, February 1st 2019. Pre-order tickets here.

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 at youtube.com/theantifada

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Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) of Think Progress joins us to discuss his latest piece, Supreme Court Will Hear Two Challenges to Partisan Gerrymandering.

On today's show: Steve Rattner on Morning Joe says Dems can't have an anti-capitalist like Warren in the general election. Photos of a line around the block to see Warren in Iowa.

Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) of Think Progress joins us to discuss his latest piece, Supreme Court Will Hear Two Challenges to Partisan Gerrymandering. The Supreme Court announced on Friday that it will hear challenges to partisan gerrymandering in two states: MD and NC. Millhiser gives some background on these cases and explains why, in his opinion, they will not end well for the Democrats. Plus, a breakdown of the legal issues involved with Trump's use of "national emergency" to build the wall.

Andy Samberg calls out the FBI's assassination of the original Black Panthers during Golden Globes bit about the movie Black Panther.

On the fun half: For-profit college, prison stocks shot up when Trump was elected. Chris Wallace tells Sarah Huckabee her 4,000-terrorists-apprehended-at-border figure is wrong. Brian Kilmeade claims children of refugees who "don't speak any English" are flooding schools. Border patrol union president says official terrorist-at-border numbers are secret because of 9/11. MSNBC reporters explain the conservative media's wall narrative. Rush Limbaugh calls AOC "some young uppity." Whoopi Goldberg scolds AOC: you have to do something before you "start pooping on people." Bishop William Barber says Romney's op-ed has no moral integrity, reminds viewers Jesus said to judge people on their actions, not their words. Is AOC anything like Sarah Palin? Plus, your calls and IMs!

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The Michael Brooks Show live! @ The Bell House, February 1st 2019. Pre-order tickets here.

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 at youtube.com/theantifada

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Good morning on today's show, Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) and Julian E. Zelizer (@julianzelizer), co-authors of Fault Lines A History of the United States Since 1974.

Professors Kruse and Zelizer from Princeton University's History Department join the Majority Report to discuss their latest book, Fault Lines A History of the United States Since 1974. Kruse and Zelizer start our contemporary political moment at Nixon's resignation, and draw out the areas in which our understanding of America shifts from the New Deal union, manufacturing-based economy to one of free enterprise and laissez-faire economics. Beyond economic changes of the 70s and 80s, there was a growing distrust of the federal government. Zelizer describes how the normalization of government shutdowns which have become a standard part of policy battles in Washington has had a negative impact on our discourse.

These fault lines extend to social issues as well, particularly gender and sexuality. Kruse explains how the growth of feminism and the reaction to it, the "family values" & "moral majority" movement, covered a huge swath of social issues that are still debated today--driving Americans further into their selected voting camps. Amidst all these fault lines is the news media. Zelizer explains how Fox News and conservative media in particular have reshaped and fractured the media landscape. The repeal of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987 is the pivotal moment in policy which allowed right wing talk radio and Fox to gain a stranglehold on the conservative narrative. An overlooked by-product of the Fairness Doctrine is the dramatization of the news, according to Kruse the news media has turned from a dour and even-keeled information enterprise to a freewheeling, pro-wrestling, high-stakes drama designed to keep viewers hooked on its 24-hour news cycle. Finally, Zelizer and Kruse push back against the false equivalency that "both sides" created these fault lines, especially in the media narrative--most of these issues were driven to further extremes by conservative activists and political actors. Sam ends the interview asking Kruse and Zelizer if they think the GOP has been anything other than party of white grievance politics--their answers will surprise you (maybe)!

And in the Fun Half: CNN is "fair and balanced," Anderson Cooper is incredulous when he learns Trump might be a racist, the Gateway pundit has put the final nail in AOC (Sandy's) coffin, Stuart Varney is enraged by the idea of marginal tax rate, Tulsi Gabbard's uncomfortable ties to Modi and the Hindu nationalist organizations, the uncomfortable reality of an uninformed electorate, Dave Rubin stands up for Jair Bolsonaro, Christian Bale thanks Satan for inspiring his performance as Dick Chaney, plus your calls and IMs!

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The Michael Brooks Show live! @ The Bell House, February 1st 2019. Pre-order tickets here.

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

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On today's show: Right-wing nut job tries to smear AOC with wholesome dancing video. Pelosi says the wall is a barrier between Trump's base and reality. Pelosi says Democrats will deliver for the middle class. DC circuit court rules in favor of NLRB. John from San Antonio defends the accuracy of longterm polling. First Native American Congresswomen embrace before being sworn in. Rashida Tlaib on Donald Trump: we will "impeach the motherfucker." Adam Schiff doesn't want to restore norms. AOC explains Green New Deal to an incredulous Anderson Cooper. Ana Navarro explains never-Trump stance: "I'll vote for a potted plant in 2020, but not Elizabeth Warren." Krysten Sinema sworn in by very uncomfortable Mike Pence. Plus, lots of your calls and IMs!

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Support Nomiki Konst in her run for New York Public Advocate. Donate here!

Just Coffee: Get 10% off fair trade coffee, tea and chocolate with coupon code “Majority” at justcoffee.coop!

The Michael Brooks Show live! @ The Bell House, February 1st 2019. Pre-order tickets here.

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 at youtube.com/theantifada

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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