The Majority Report with Sam Seder

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!

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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.

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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

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Ahead of tonight’s climate-change-focused town hall on CNN, Elizabeth Warren releases a new $3 Trillion plan to tackle global warming.

Meanwhile, Trump diverts more than $3 billion from U.S. military construction projects to fund his stupid border wall.

And lastly, a nice win for Democracy as a court gives state officials in North Carolina two weeks to redraw the GOP's gerrymandered district map.

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

British lawmakers on Tuesday rose up against Prime Minister Boris Johnson, moving to prevent him from taking the country out of the European Union without a formal agreement. 

The Cherokee Nation named former Obama appointee Kimberly Teehee as its first delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday. Although the treaty that created this nonvoting position is almost 200 years old, it had never been filled.

The AP reports that Walmart will discontinue the sale of handgun ammunition and also publicly request that customers refrain from openly carrying firearms in stores even where state laws allow it. 

And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell whined about his “Moscow Mitch” nickname during a radio interview on Tuesday, calling it “modern day McCarthyism.” McConnell said he can laugh about things like being called the Grim Reaper, but calling him Moscow Mitch is “over the top.”

Direct download: 090419_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 10:18am EDT

We're back from our August break! And we got a heaping pile of news for you, our dear listeners! On today's program, Sam and crew tackle the biggest stories from the last week including what the hell is going on in the United Kingdom, Joe Biden's fluid understanding of "truth" and "character," and the most recent developments in the 2020 Democratic field. Sam breaks down Bernie's new medical debt forgiveness proposal and what else it will do to alleviate people's bankruptcy problems. The crew also checks in with the Washington Post fact-checkers and their campaign to discredit the Bernie Sanders campaign. Sam closes out the free half with a tale from the deep archive about the time he interviewed Sean Hannity and asked the Fox host about the End Times.

And in the Fun Half: John from San Antonio endorses Brendan's MR deep archive selections, Donald Trump has a "great message" for Poland on the 80th anniversary of the Nazi invasion, the president shares his knowledge of FARC, the press can't drive a wedge between Warren and Sanders, Tulsi Gabbard is still in the presidential race, deciding who qualifies and who does not, avoiding the "rigged" storyline of 2016, what to do when you work for a small business a-holes, systemic racism in Michigan rears its ugly head, Ben Shapiro's guest says trans people are a threat to the family unit, reporters own the Boston straight pride organizers at their shitty press conference, Andrew Yang will keep printing a blank check for Israel, the difference between what happens when people stay home and when people vote third party, plus your calls and IMs!

Become a member of the Majority Report today!

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Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the 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: 9-3-19-Sam_Seder-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:18pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Allies of Donald Trump are raising millions of dollars to target and harass editors and reporters working for major news outlets.

Meanwhile, the DNC tells Iowa and Nevada to scrap their plans to hold virtual caucus citing security concerns.

And lastly, Hong Kong’s leader denies that she offered her resignation to Beijing despite being recorded saying she would quit if she could.

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

Hurricane Dorian has been downgraded to a Category 3 storm after stalling over the Bahamas, where officials say it is responsible for the deaths of at least five people.

The Washington Post reports that House Democrats plan to make Trump's alleged involvement in a 2016 scheme to silence two women who claimed they had affairs with him a major investigative focus this fall

The Trump administration announced that it would reconsider its decision to force immigrants facing life-threatening health crises to return to their home countries, an abrupt move last month that generated public outrage and was roundly condemned by the medical establishment

The AP reports that tens of thousands of students in Hong Kong boycotted the first day of classes Monday as part of a citywide strike following another weekend of demonstrations. Teenagers spoke to the crowds from a stage with a backdrop that read: “With no future, there’s no need to go to class.”

 

Direct download: 090319_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:00am EDT

Today our annual repeat of a compilation of labor speeches from FDR, Mario Savio, John Lewis, & more. Full live show returns tomorrow!

Become a member of the Majority Report today!

Get updates on the ongoing nationwide prison strike at supportprisonerresistance.noblogs.org/nationalprisonstrike2018/

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: Labor_Day_2019.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

Caleb Cain (@faradayspeaks) is a self-described "gamer who fell down the alt-right rabbit hole" before eventually making his way back to the left. He joins Sam to discuss the YouTube personalities who drove his radicalization as a young college dropout, what helped bring him back, and his current project of de-radicalizing white nationalists and far-right ideologues.

Direct download: 8-30-19_Friday_Caleb_Cain-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:20pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

The Senate Democrats’ campaign arm is caught pressuring consultants not to work with a leading progressive candidate in Colorado.

Meanwhile, the death toll from an Ebola outbreak in Africa climbs to 2,000.

And lastly, Trump says the U.S. will drop military forces in Afghanistan to 8,600 under a new peace deal with the Taliban.

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

The final lineup for the third Democratic debate is set for a single night in Houston in two weeks on Sept. 12. The 10 candidates will appear on stage in the following order, from left to right: Amy Klobuchar, Booker, Buttigieg, Sanders, Biden, Warren, Harris, Yang, Beto, and Castro

Politico reports that the Democratic National Committee will recommend rejecting a plan for virtual caucuses in Iowa and Nevada, introducing a level of uncertainty in the caucus states ahead of the upcoming election season. 

Kay Ivey, Republican Governor of Alabama has apologized for participating in a racist skit that involved blackface when she was a college student. In a statement

And hurricane Dorian is set to turn into a Category 4 storm with winds topping 130 mph before it makes landfall on Labor Day. Models are predicting the full force of the storm could make it into the center of Florida. 

Direct download: 083019_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 8:41am EDT

Joshua Murray, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Vanderbilt University, joins Sam to discuss his new book (co-authored with Michael Schwartz), "Wrecked: How the American Automobile Industry Destroyed Its Capacity to Compete."

At its peak in the 1950s and 1960s, automobile manufacturing was the largest, most profitable industry in the United States and residents of industry hubs like Detroit and Flint, Michigan had some of the highest incomes in the country. Over the last half-century, the industry has declined, and American automakers now struggle to stay profitable. How did the most prosperous industry in the richest country in the world crash and burn? In Wrecked, sociologists Joshua Murray and Michael Schwartz offer an unprecedented historical-sociological analysis of the downfall of the auto industry. Through an in-depth examination of labor relations and the production processes of automakers in the U.S. and Japan both before and after World War II, they demonstrate that the decline of the American manufacturers was the unintended consequence of their attempts to weaken the bargaining power of their unions.

Direct download: 8-29-19_Thursday_Joshua_Murray-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Thousands of protesters jam the streets of London accusing the Prime Minister Boris Johnson of mounting a coup against Parliament.

Meanwhile, Trump tells the EPA to rollback restrictions on deadly methane pollution.

And lastly, Kirsten Gillibrand drops out of the 2020 presidential race.

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

The Trump administration said Wednesday that the children of some U.S. military members and government employees working overseas will no longer automatically be considered United States citizens.

Most voters disapprove of President Trump’s remarks calling American Jews who vote for Democrats disloyal, according to a new poll released by Politico on Wednesday. 

Detroit Free Press reports that FBI and Internal Revenue Service agents have raided the homes of UAW President Gary Jones as part of a nationwide sweep of sites tied to the autoworker union. The multiagency raids come as federal officials ramped up their corruption investigation of the autoworkers union — which is in the midst of contract negotiations with Detroit automakers.

Direct download: 082919_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 8:44am EDT

Katharina Pistor, Edwin B. Parker Professor of Comparative Law at Columbia Law School and Director of the Law School's Center on Global Legal Transformation, joins Sam to discuss her new book, "The Code of Capital: How the Law Creates Wealth and Inequality."

Capital is the defining feature of modern economies, yet most people have no idea where it actually comes from. What is it, exactly, that transforms mere wealth into an asset that automatically creates more wealth? The Code of Capital explains how capital is created behind closed doors in the offices of private attorneys, and why this little-known fact is one of the biggest reasons for the widening wealth gap between the holders of capital and everybody else.

Direct download: 8-28-19_Wednesday_Katharina_Pistor-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Trump wants his border wall with Mexico completed by Election Day, even if he has to break the law to do it. 

Meanwhile the Mad King says it’s OK to mow down one of the largest rainforests in the world.

And lastly, a federal judge blocks an almost total ban on abortion in Missouri, set to take effect today. 

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

HuffPo reports that Trump’s trade war is linked to the destruction of the Amazon, as U.S. soybeans sit in silos and Brazilian farmers push to break new ground to satisfy the Chinese market.

NBC News is reporting that the White House is funneling millions of dollars of FEMA disaster relief funds to ICE in order to detain 50,000 immigrants at one time.

CNN reports two US senators have been denied visas to Russia in what appears to be a retaliatory move on the part of the Kremlin. Ron Johnson, a Republican, and Chris Murphy, a Democrat, were scheduled to travel as part of a congressional delegation to Russia next week.

And Donal Trump seems to be a little worried about Elizabeth Warren, tweeting last night that he thinks the media is inflating the crowd numbers attending her Warren’s rallies. 

Direct download: 082819_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:45am EDT

Journalist Todd Miller (@memomiller) joins Sam to discuss his new book, "Empire of Borders: The Expansion of the U.S. Border Around the World."

The twenty-first century has witnessed the rapid hardening of international borders. Security, surveillance, and militarization are widening the chasm between those who travel where they please and those whose movements are restricted. But that is only part of the story. As journalist Todd Miller reveals in Empire of Borders, the nature of US borders has changed. These boundaries have effectively expanded thousands of miles outside of US territory to encircle not simply American land but Washington’s interests.

Direct download: 8-27-19_Tuesday_Todd_Miller_Pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:00pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

A judge orders Johnson & Johnson to pay $570 million for role in Oklahoma’s opioid epidemic.

Meanwhile, Puerto Rico declares a national emergency as Tropical Storm Dorian threatens to turn into a hurricane.

And lastly, Joe Biden’s brother reportedly offered help in incorporating a private businesses’ health care model into Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign.

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

A new Roanoke College poll finds that 53% of potential Virginia voters said they disapproved of President Trump’s job performance, while just 27% said they approved — a new low.

Washington Post reports that Trump announced Monday that he intends to invite Putin to the G7 summit in 2020 despite warnings that Russia is actively trying to interfere again in the U.S. presidential election.

An internal poll from the campaign of Andy Beshear shows the Democratic challenger leading Kentucky’s Republican Governor Matt Bevin by 9 percentage points, 48% to 39%, with a little over two months until the election.

And Brazil’s fascist overlord Jair Bolsonaro announced that he will reject the $22 million offered by G7 countries to help the country fight the Amazon fires saying the resources would be put to better use reforesting Europe.

Direct download: 082719_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:46am EDT

Alexandra Minna Stern, professor of American Culture at the University of Michigan, joins us to discuss her book, 'Proud Boys and the White Ethnostate: How the Alt-Right Is Warping the American Imagination.'

From a loose movement that lurked in the shadows in the early 2000s, the alt-right has achieved a level of visibility that has allowed it to expand significantly throughout America’s cultural, political, and digital landscapes. Racist, sexist, and homophobic beliefs that were previously unspeakable have become commonplace, normalized, and accepted—endangering American democracy and society as a whole.
Through careful analysis, Stern brings awareness to the underlying concepts that guide the alt-right and animate its overlapping forms of racism, xenophobia, transphobia, and anti-egalitarianism.

Direct download: 8-26-19_Monday_Alexandra_Minna_Stern_Pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that 70 percent of Americans have a “deep and boiling anger” for the political establishment.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Warren takes a jab at Joe Biden during a record-setting rally in Seattle.

And lastly, Axios reports that Trump wants to stop hurricanes from hitting U.S. by bombing them with nuclear weapons. 

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

NBC News reports that the top Democratic presidential campaigns are taking the possibility of a contested convention seriously and have begun wooing the party's 700-plus super delegates, who thanks to a new rule will only get to weigh in on a nominee if next year's primaries and caucuses fail to produce a clear winner.

The Alabama Republican Party passed a resolution calling for to seek the expulsion Rep. Ilhan Omar from Congress for “anti-American” sentiments. Even if passed, the racist resolution would not lead to Omar’s expulsion as it is not binding on members of Congress and, oh yeah, the Democratic Party controls the House of Representatives. Details.

The AP is reporting that Trump, under pressure to scale back a U.S.-China trade war partly blamed for a global economic slowdown, said this morning that the two sides will begin serious negotiations soon.

And CNN reports that The Cherokee Nation announced that it intends to appoint a delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, asserting for the first time a right promised to the tribe in a nearly 200-year-old treaty with the federal government.

Direct download: 082619_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:54am EDT

Happy Friday! On today's show, Ben Mankiewicz from Turner Classic Movies and Matt Binder from Mashable join Michael Brooks to breakdown the news of the week! We're live at noon EST. Brooks is joined by Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz to discuss new and upcoming films. The two begin their conversation with the existential question, "why are there so many goddamn superhero movies?" Mankiewicz gives a brief overview of the golden age of 1970s cinema and the economics of the blockbuster and studio consolidation in the 1980s. Shifting to politics, Brooks and Mankiewicz consider Trump's latest moniker, "the King of the Jews," the country's incapacity to express shock, and the president's bewildering charisma. Mankiewicz ends the interview with film recommendations, including Network, Three Days in the Condor, The Conversation, and Ace in the Hole.

Then, Matt 1.0, Matt Binder of the podcast Doomed, joins Brooks in-studio to discuss the growing Bernie Sanders movement and white nationalism embedded in State Department bureaucracy. Binder recounts his recent interview with Michael Hayden of the Southern Poverty Law Center who discovered Matthew Q. Gebert. Gebert was a State Department official who is involved in the white nationalist movement. Gebert was a rising star at the Bureau of Energy Resources even after his brother had reported him to the FBI, citing his brother's involvement in white nationalist groups around Washington. Brooks and Binder discuss the problem with covering hate groups on YouTube and social media, which cannot differentiate between those who promote toxic ideologies and those who cover and report on them.

And in the Fun Half for Freebie Friday: Andrew Miller from Amazon Watch explains the Bolsonaro government's involvement in the rainforest's raging wildfires, a reminder that Dave Rubin doesn't care about Brazilian deforestation, a flashback Friday: Wyatt Ingraham Koch, the coming Biden v. Trump Jello debate, plus your calls and IMs!

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Live Show in LA! April 20th at the Bootleg Theatre with guests Ana Kasparian, Wosny Lambre and Nando Vila! Get tickets here!

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Direct download: 8-23-19-Matt_Binder-Ben_Mankiewicz-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:46pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

The DNC decides that the imminent collapse of planet Earth isn’t worth talking about for 2 hours. 

Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders unleashes an ambitious $16 trillion plan to fight climate change as he calls for fossil fuel executives to be criminally prosecuted. 

And lastly, Bill Barr’s Justice Department sent its Immigration Judges an email linked to a White Nationalist blog post full of anti-semitic attacks. 

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

The intercept has a in depth piece from the Front Lines of Bolsonaro’s War on the Amazon rainforest, as Brazil’s forest communities fight against this climate catastrophe.

Vanity Fair is reporting that Trump has been privately telling congressional Republicans that he thinks gutting Medicare could be a “fun second term project.” 

The American Prospect reports that Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have returned campaign contributions from individuals employed at hedge funds that have investments in Puerto Rican debt, after an open letter from a coalition of progressive activist groups sent last week demanded that presidential candidates reject donations tied to the misery on the island.

Direct download: 082319_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 8:18am EDT

Author Dale Beran (@DaleBeran) joins Sam to discuss his new book, "It Came From Something Awful: How A Toxic Troll Army Accidentally Memed Donald Trump Into Office."

On today's show: Brian Mier reports on fires in the Amazon, Bolsonaro's role. Author Dale Beran (@DaleBeran) joins Sam to discuss his new book, "It Came From Something Awful: How A Toxic Troll Army Accidentally Memed Donald Trump Into Office." The birth of the internet in '60s counterculture and its descent into nihilism in the neoliberal era. How the Something Awful forums gave birth to 4chan and 8chan. How Gamergate fed the rise of the alt-right, influenced the 2016 election, and impressed Steve Bannon. The widespread alienation feeding the rise of right-wing "YouTube dads" like Jordan Peterson and Stefan Molyneux.

On the fun half: Virgil Texas asks Tulsi if she's anti-imperialist. (Spoiler alert: she's not!) Is gun control a bad hill for the Democrats to die on? Trump declines to name his favorite Bible verse. Bernie's progressive platforms on labor, criminal justice, and the Green New Deal. Trump says he's looking at taking away birthright citizenship. How to stave off eco-fascism?

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Live Show in LA! April 20th at the Bootleg Theatre with guests Ana Kasparian, Wosny Lambre and Nando Vila! Get tickets here!

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

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Direct download: 8-22-19-Dale_Baren-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:30pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Jay Inslee ends his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination but might seek a 3rd term as governor of Washington State.

Meanwhile a watchdog group finds that Trump has spent a third of his presidency at Trump properties while American taxpayers picked up the tab.

And lastly, Bernie Sanders releases an ambitious plan that aims to double union membership in the United States by 2025.

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

CNN reports that at least 28 people have been arrested over threats to commit mass attacks since the El Paso and Dayton shootings. The FBI has been concerned that US-based domestic violent extremists could become inspired by the attacks to engage in similar acts of violence.

Reuters reports that the Trump administration is seriously looking at ending the right of citizenship for U.S.-born children of non-citizens and people who immigrated to the United States illegally.

Hildalgo County, Texas, residents are fighting to protect the graves of US war veterans that are under threat by the construction of Trump's border wall, according to local news station KVEO-TV.

And Politico is reporting that Trump on Wednesday night told a group of veterans that he should receive a Medal of Honor— the nation’s highest award for acts of military valor. This follows Trump’s statement earlier in the day that he is “the chosen one” — a proclamation he turned to the sky to deliver.

Direct download: 082219_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:28am EDT

The MR crew brings you the news.

On today's show: Trump wonders about Jewish loyalty and voting for Democrats. Wayne Allyn Root says Robert Mueller's investigation is about "penis envy," calls Trump "King of the Jews." Trump thanks Wayne Allyn Root for his kind words. Bernie says he plans to vote for a Jewish candidate this time around. Trump tries to neg Danish PM into selling him Greenland; she responds. Trump wants to send nukes to space. CBP won't give immigrants flu shots. DHS secretary unveils plans that will scrap the Flores agreement. Castro, Warren's immigration plans. Bernie's labor platform. Biden remembers when RFK and MLK were assassinated in the late '70s.

On the fun half: The Amazon rainforest is on fire, probably Bolsonaro's fault. Ronald Raygun on immigration policy. De Blasio's baby voice. Trump says administration is considering payroll and capital gains tax cuts. Energy secretary Rick Perry fooled by Instagram scam. Brian Kilmeade defends Trump's Jewish "loyalty" remarks. Sean Spicer is on "Dancing With the Stars." A lightning round where we take a bunch of calls!

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell this weekend August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 8-21-19-Sam_Seder-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:39pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Trump blows the White Nationalist bullhorn from the Oval Office, calling Jews who vote for Democrats either stupid or disloyal.

The NRA has already managed to get Trump to back off his recent calls for expanded background checks.

The Border Patrol says they will not provide flu vaccines to migrant children in border camps even though the infection has killed at least three children in custody this year. 

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

Politico reports that the FDIC board voted 3-1 Tuesday to give big banks more leeway to make risky short-term bets in financial markets by loosening a landmark but highly contentious regulation known as the Volcker rule.

A new CNN poll finds 65% of Americans say current economic conditions are good, but that’s down since May, representing the first significant decline in public perception of the economy during Donald Trump’s presidency.

The AP reports that Democrats plan to spend at least $1.2 million on ads in Maine to defeat Susan Collins, including a TV spot that accuses Collins of failing to protect Medicare.

And from the Chicago Tribune, Pete Buttigieg held a self-described grassroots campaign rally on Chicago’s Southside on Tuesday night, but the overwhelmingly white audience he drew to the event in a historic black neighborhood reinforced the difficulty the Democratic presidential hopeful has had in connecting with African American voters.

Direct download: 082119_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:37am EDT

The MR crew brings you the news.

On today's show: Trump is upset nobody credits him for criminal justice reform. Greg Gutfeld says 1619 NYT Mag piece about slavery is designed to call Trump racist. Trump defends Larry Kudlow. Trump admin poorly positioned to deal with a recession, which might happen. Jill Biden says you need to suck it up and vote Biden because he's our best shot at beating Trump as new primary polls show tight race. Rashida Tlaib shares her experience in Palestine as a young girl and how dehumanizing it was. Ilhan Omar says we should withhold aid from Israel if it keeps interfering with US elected officials, violating human rights. Peter Beinart explains why Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib are right to critique Israeli apartheid.

On the fun half: Ben Shapiro claims Donald Trump was not a Republican figure when he made birther claims. Flashback: Ben Shapiro pens columns in support of Trump, GOP electeds repeat birther claims. Brian Kilmeade is shocked American Jews don't support President Trump more. Pete Hegseth accuses Tlaib, Omar of supporting terrorism because of their stance on Israel. Tomi Lahren tells Crowder and Rubin to "debate Sam!" Will Biden win Super Tuesday, or run out of steam first? A caller extols the virtues of veganism.

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 8-20-19-Sam_Seder-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:30pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Twitter and Facebook suspend social media accounts linked to a Chinese disinformation campaign targeting the Hong Kong protests.

The White House is kicking around the idea of a payroll tax cut to avoid a recession before the 2020 election.

Ilhan Omar urges her fellow Democrats to visit Israel and report on the “cruel reality” of the occupation.

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

A group of students at Pacifica High School in Garden Grove, California, gave a Nazi salute and sang a Nazi song during an awards ceremony last year, according to video reviewed by The Daily Beast. It’s the second such incident in the region in the year. 

Politico reports that Planned Parenthood has pulled out of the Title X federal family planning program rather than comply with a new Trump administration rule barring federally funded clinics from referring patients to abortion providers.

From Reuters, U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr on Monday shook up the leadership at the federal Bureau of Prisons, removing its acting chief following the suicide of financier Jeffrey Epstein in a New York City jail.

A Bernie Sanders softball game sparked a last-minute controversy after Bernie sent an email to supporters promoting the game between his campaign staff and members of the press corps. CNN and ABC News have since pulled out of the event, not wanting to be associated with a “campaign fundraising effort.” (Politico)

Direct download: 092019_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:28am EDT

On today's show, Joshua Specht (@joshspecht), author of Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America. The story of beef production in America begins at the cattle ranch, which was a tool of conquest in the West. In some places, cattle ranching resembled a paramilitary operation with settlers and natives fighting for land rights. Settlers looked to graze with their cattle while natives hunted what remained of buffalo populations. The federal government's decision to inter natives to reservations gave ranchers free rein and allowed them to build larger ranches with more heads of cattle. After ranching established itself, the meatpackers from Chicago and capitalists invested in the western farms, flooding the marketplace with meat and creating an oligopoly, or as the owners of the time called it, "holding both ends of the string." Sam and Joshua explore the meatpacking assembly lines in Chicago which inspired Henry Ford's auto manufacturing lines and was the focus of Upton Sinclair's 'The Jungle.' While Sinclair wanted to spark a socialist revolution amongst American workers, American consumers and politicians instead regulated the industry based on sanitation, with Roosevelt's Meat Inspection Act of 1906. Given the broad implications of beef's economic history, what does it mean to us now? Specht questions the short term impacts of meat and climate change; and how consumer prices are often used to deflect criticism of the industry, like labor rights and environmental concerns.

And in the Fun Half: Larry Kudlow is enjoying the August recess, Jimmy Dore has something against Justice Democrats, Killer Mike explains why a free college option is essential for America, Jesse Watters thinks he was a slave when he did chores, Pete Buttigieg fearmongers about the national debt, Fox News contributor says the prison system is maybe the least racist American institution, Ainsley Earhardt wishes the homeless would just disappear, plus your calls and IMs!


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Become a member of the majority report today at JoinTheMajorityReport.com

Get 10% off fair trade coffee with coupon code “majority” at justcoffee.coop

Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 8-19-19-Joshua_Specht-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:34pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

A report finds that union workers at a Pennsylvania Shell plant had to attend a Trump speech in ordered to get paid for work.

Bernie Sanders unveils a plan to overhaul country's “dysfunctional criminal justice system.”

Large numbers of salmon are dying in Alaska because the water is too damn hot. 

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

Politico reports that Joe Biden will skip a big DNC meeting in San Francisco where 13 presidential candidates are expected to appear.

Also from Politico, a federal appeals court has rejected efforts to block the Trump administration from banning abortion referrals by federally funded family planning clinics, including affiliates of Planned Parenthood.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that each and every student enrolled in 77 schools operated under the Atlanta Public Schools district will be eligible for free breakfasts and lunches regardless of how much money their family earns. According to the paper, the students will begin receiving free meals at the start of the coming school year.

Grassroots organizers Ethan Todras-Whitehill and Catherine Vaughan of Swing Left discuss their plans to restore democratic accountability with The American Prospect.

Direct download: 081919_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:22am EDT

On today's show, The Host of the Benjamin Dixon Show, Benjamin Dixon (@BenjaminPDixon ) and the renowned Andy Kindler (@AndyKindler ). Benjamin Dixon joins Sam to recap the biggest stories of the week including the change in Public Charge laws, the possibility of an economic recession, and Israel's decision to ban the first two Muslim American congresswomen from visiting the "only democracy in the Middle East." Sam and Benjamin agree that changes to the Public Charge laws function as a chilling effect, keeping immigrants from seeking entitlements and turning benefit programs into exclusionary services. Lost in Israel's decision to bar Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar is the role of BDS. Sam and Benjamin explain the BDS movement and why establishment Democrats and the GOP compare it to extremist ideology and antisemitism. Sam explains the changing role of AIPAC in American politics and Americans evolving feelings towards Israel in the 21st century. Michael Brooks joins the conversation to place the Israel-Palestine apartheid conflict in the broader context of boycott and divestiture movements in similar struggles. Andy Kindler makes his triumphant return to the Majority Report! Andy recalls the time Chris Cuomo threw him down the stairs at a party. Next, Andy and Sam go deep on Ben Shapiro's "Sunday Sitdown" with Dennis Miller, the worst conversation on comedy in recorded history.

And in the Fun Half: 2019's hottest collab: Bernie and Cardi B, Dennis Prager is giddy thinking racial tensions have diminished, the Fox & Friends C team lives up to its name, Trump brings back the road comic routine for 2020, Sam explains the Hoarse Whisperer "controversy," plus your IMs!

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 8-16-19-Ben_Dixon-Andy_Kindler-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:49pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Israel now says they will allow Rep. Rashida Tlaib to visit the country—but only as a private citizen.

An ex-Blackwater contractor is sentenced to life in prison for his part in a 2007 massacre of Iraqi civilians. 

Trump wants to buy Greenland. You heard that right folks, Greenland. 

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

A Fox News poll released Thursday showed Trump losing head-to-head matchups against four of the top Democratic presidential primary contenders.

Politico reports that top officials in the State Department bureau dealing with international institutions engaged in “disrespectful and hostile treatment” of staffers, including harassing some over suspicions that they were “disloyal” due to their suspected political views.

And lastly, Beto O’Rourke told MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell on Thursday that he “will not in any scenario run for the United States Senate.” MSNBC

Direct download: 081619_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:51am EDT

Vijay Prashad (@vijayprashad), director of the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research and Chief Editor at LeftWord Books, joins Michael Brooks to discuss the on-going lockdown in Kashmir.

On today's show: Ben Shapiro says if you have to work two jobs to live, "that's a you problem."

Vijay Prashad (@vijayprashad), director of the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research and Chief Editor at LeftWord Books, joins Michael Brooks to discuss the on-going lockdown in Kashmir. Last week, the Indian government revoked the special status of Kashmir, Indian's only majority Muslim state. Since then, Indian and Pakistani troops have moved into the region and lines of communication--internet, phones, trains--have been shut down or severely limited. Vijay and Michael explain Kashmir's history and what's next for the region between two countries with nuclear weapons. Also: an update on the situation in Brazil.

On the fun half: Colbert says Bernie is stealing Trump's "fake news media" lines. Adam Carolla's hackish "low man" bit. South African expat wishes "both sides" in Hong Kong would stop. Hong Kong protests continue, protesters wear bloody eyepatches in solidarity with those injured. Pulitzer Prize winning journalist on why we need humanitarian aid in northern triangle. Truck drives into "never again" protest at ICE facility, then ICE officials pepper spray protesters. Beto 3.0, still running for president. Dave from Jamaica, Jamie and Michael discuss the politics of open borders.

Become a member of the majority report today at JoinTheMajorityReport.com

Get 10% off fair trade coffee with coupon code “majority” at justcoffee.coop

Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@majorityfm

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@BF1nn

Direct download: 8-15-19-Vijay_Prashad-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:41pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Stocks plunge and the Dow Jones tanks 800 points as warnings of a new recession begin to stack up. (CNBC)

Meanwhile, Bibi Netanyahu wants to block Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from entering Israel for a planned visit next week. (Daily Beast)

And lastly, Congressman Steve King tells a crowd of conservative voters in Iowa that centuries of rape and incest has actually been really good for the planet. (Des Moines Register)

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

The Washington Post reports an autopsy found that Jeffrey Epstein sustained multiple breaks in his neck bones. Experts told the Post this can happen in a hanging, but is more common in victims of strangulation.

BuzzFeed News is reporting that the Trump administration is proposing a new rule to let businesses with federal contracts cite religious objections as a valid reason to discriminate against their workers on the basis of LGBTQ status, sex, race, ethnicity, national origin, and other characteristics.

And lastly, for the first for first time ever, a Fox News poll shows that the American public is unfavorable to the NRA. The new poll also found that 67 percent of registered voters now support a ban on assault weapons and a whopping 56 percent currently disapprove of Trump’s job performance.

Direct download: 081519_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:26am EDT

News day with the MR team.

On today's show: CNN says Sanders campaign calling out pro-corporate bias is "really dangerous line." Noam Chomsky explains how the media and our education system manufacture consent. Round 3: Cuccinello says Statue of Liberty poem was about Europeans. Ronald Raygun gives details on "public charge" laws: their long history and the recent changes made by Trump admin.

On the fun half: Trump defends Cuccinelli and public charge law changes after Cuccinelli edits the poem on the Statue of Liberty. Fox and Friends explain why changes to public charge law are "common sense." AOC calls out Barstool Sports boss for publicly flouting labor law. Matt Walsh claims that Sam makes no arguments.

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 8-14-19-Sam_Seder-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:22pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

The New York Times reports that prison guards assigned to Jeffrey Epstein fell asleep and falsified records to cover it up. (NYT)

More than a century of temperature data has been analyzed by the Washington Post, and guess what folks… extreme climate change has officially arrived in America. (WaPo) 

An assault weapons ban picks up steam in the House of Representatives as 7 out of ten Americans now support such legislation. (The Hill)

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

Former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams announced Tuesday that she would not launch a 2020 presidential campaign, choosing instead to focus on a new national program aimed at helping Democrats in key states improve their "voter protection operations" ahead of next year's election. (Common Dreams)

Think Progress is reporting that Newark, New Jersey is offering bottled water to its residents after the Environmental Protection Agency raised concerns over dangerous lead content in the area’s drinking supply.

The New York Times reports that former Colorado governor John Hickenlooper is in discussions about ending his 2020 presidential bid to enter the race for his state's Republican-held Senate seat.

And a new study by the American Medical Association's internal medicine journal has discovered that over 40 percent of patients hospitalized or treated in an emergency room received surprise bills in 2016. The study found the average price tag for a surprise bill was $628 in 2016, up from $220 in 2010. (Daily Beast)

Direct download: 081419_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 10:22am EDT

Samuel Stein joins Sam to discuss his book, Capital City: Gentrification and the Real Estate State. In this book, Stein shows how the $200T real estate industry has accounted for more than 60% of the global assets and how urban planning policy has enabled its tremendous growth.

On today's show: Ainsley Earhardt says it's great that kids are praying (after losing their home, car, and parents' jobs).

Samuel Stein, PhD candidate at the CUNY Graduate Center, joins Sam to discuss his book, Capital City: Gentrification and the Real Estate StateThe history of real estate and how manufacturing capital once provided a check on real estate capital. The cycles of investment and disinvestment driving gentrification. How wealthy landowners got much of NYC re-zoned in the 1970s and how housing became hyper-commodified by a financialized economy. Rent control, tenants' unions, and other ways city dwellers can fight back. A brief history of the Trump family's real estate empire.

On the fun half: Ben Shapiro believes it's a conspiracy to link conservative tropes to white supremacist violence. Ken Cuccinelli offers to rewrite Emma Lazarus poem on the Statue of Liberty. Sonny Perdue mocks farmers as "whiners" amid trade war bankruptcies. Moscow Mitch protest in Kentucky. Biden gaffes, says he was VP during Parkland shooting. MSNBC anchor Ayman Mohyeldin pushes back after colleague wrongly scolds him on-air over immigration. Mohyeldin follows up on-air statement on Twitter: Trump has, indeed, expressed a preference for immigrants from Nordic countries. A Florida caller on the positive effects of Bernie's Joe Rogan appearance.

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 8-13-19-Samuel_Stein-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:33pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

The Treasury Department says the U.S. budget deficit is already more than last year’s total figure. (TBB)

Meanwhile, a new poll finds that a large majority of Americans want undocumented immigrants in the US to be granted legal status. (CNN)

And lastly, Trump guts the Endangered Species Act but it’s still not evil enough for some Republicans. (NPR)

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

Harry Reid is back, calling the Senate a “Graveyard” and demanding an end to the Filibuster. “The future of our country is sacrificed at the altar of the filibuster," the former Senate majority leader wrote in a New York Times op-ed.

Citizen’s For Ethics reports that Trump’s hand-picked IRS Commissioner, Charles Rettig, is earning as much as $1 million in rental income from the Trump-branded properties he co-owns.

Newsweek reports that Sonny Perdue, Trump’s Secretary of Agriculture, got boo’d after told a joke about farmers being whiners to an audience full of farmers at a farm show! Talk about not reading the room.

And the New Republic reports that Republicans are apparently getting very nervous about maintaining their stranglehold on the Lone Star State as the Texas GOP braces for a Blue Wave in 2020. Yes, that Texas.

Category: -- posted at: 9:18am EDT

Healthcare advocate Timothy Faust (@crulge) joins us to discuss his book, "Health Justice Now: Single Payer and What Comes Next."

On today's show: MSNBC's Vaughn Hillyard asked Iowa voter Bob Fisher which candidate he supports, he responds, "I'm white, old, they call me all kinds of name, who do you think?"

Healthcare advocate Timothy Faust (@crulge) joins us to discuss his book, "Health Justice Now: Single Payer and What Comes Next." The foundational issues with how the private health industry operates. Two-tiered systems and the issues with keeping private insurance around. Why the money for a single-payer system should be allocated locally whenever possible. How a single-payer system could replace the jobs lost in the transition. The role played by doctors and the need to pair single-payer with free medical training. Housing, nutrition, and other components of health justice beyond medical treatment.

On the fun half: Acting USCIS chief Ken Cuccinelli at the White House says, "Through the public charge rule, President Trump's administration is re-enforcing the ideals of self-sufficiency and personal responsibility ensuring immigrants are able to support themselves." Cuccinelli says "criminal investigations" resulting from ICE workplace immigration raids are "still ongoing." Reporter asks about the "huddled masses" language on Statue of Liberty; Cuccinelli says he's not prepared to take anything off the statue. AG Bill Barr claims he is "outraged" about the apparent suicide of Jeffrey Epstein, vows to investigate. Nearly 100 people arrested for blocking the West Side Highway in anti-ICE protest. So many #JewsAgainstICE arrested at Amazon store the NYPD had to commandeer a bus. To get involved, visit CloseTheCampsNYC.com! Dan Bongino on Fox and Friends reacts to fencer Race Imboden kneeling during anthem: disrespecting the flag "shuts down conversation."

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Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the 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 via your favorite podcast app

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 8-12-19-Tim_faust-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:20pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES: Joe Biden mistakenly tells the press that he met with Parkland shooting victims while he was vice president. (CNN)

Meanwhile, Kamala Harris condemns Trump’s immigration raids part of campaign of terror hat will result in “flawed’”census. (Politico)

And lastly, Hong Kong International Airpot cancels all of its departing flights as mass protests continue for the 10th straight weekend. (Bloomberg)

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

Right Wing politician Alejandro Giammattei won the Guatemala presidential election Sunday, promising he would abolish the migration deal his predecessor made with the Trump administration.

A 26-year-old Palestinian gunman shot dead on Sunday was the fifth armed Palestinian to be killed by Israeli forces near the Gaza border fence over the weekend amid rising tensions in the region.

The New York Times reports that guards at a Manhattan correctional facility tasked with watching billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein violated prison procedure the night of his apparent suicide.

And lastly, Donald Trump on Saturday promoted a conspiracy theory linking the Bill and Hillary Clinton to the death of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, the latest instance of the most powerful person in the world sitting on the toilet, tweeting conspiracy theories.

Direct download: 081219_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:16am EDT

Tom Scocca (@tomscocca) joins the MR Crew in studio to discuss his recent piece in Slate, "Where Taking the Concerns of Racists Seriously Has Gotten Us," and to recap the week's biggest stories.

On today's show: CNN reports that the two-month old baby orphaned in El Paso shooting was discharged from hospital, then brought back for Trump's photo op. Trump gives a "thumbs up" with the baby.

Tom Scocca (@tomscocca), politics editor at Slate, joins the MR Crew in studio to discuss his recent piece in Slate, "Where Taking the Concerns of Racists Seriously Has Gotten Us," as well as the week's biggest stories. The New York Times' boneheaded reporting on white supremacist violence. Bret Stephens claims the Democrats alienate "normal" Americans. NYT's Jon Weisman parrots white supremacist talking points. Joe Biden says at a Town Hall in Iowa "poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids." Dolphins wide receiver Kenny Stills elaborates on how he feels about Dolphins owner Stephen Ross hosting a re-election fundraiser for Trump. Ben Shapiro upset over Al Sharpton's cracker sponsorship. 11-year-old girl tearfully begs for her father's release following Mississippi ICE raids. Mike from PA on his debate with Destiny. Broflamingo on the Clintons' racism. CNN's Erin Burnett asks Nadler about impeachment, Nadler replies, "this is formal impeachment proceedings." Andrew Cuomo on CNN New Day says Democrats should come together to create a mental health database for gun buyers. Pete Hegseth on Varney and Co says global climate change is a hoax to control what people eat. A caller on the #RecallDunleavy campaign in Alaska.

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 8-9-19-Tom_Scocca-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:38pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Lindsey Graham promises to repeal ObamaCare if Trump and House Republicans win in 2020. (The Hill)

Meanwhile, Trump and Melania smiling photo opp with a baby orphaned in El Paso massacre draws global criticism. (The Independent)

And lastly, a new study finds that police are a leading cause of death for young men, especially those of color. (Daily Beast)

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

From The Hollywood Reporter; Long John Silver's is dropping Fox News after host Tucker Carlson called White Supremacy, “a ‘hoax’”. The brand is one of more than 20 that have stopped advertising with Fox News show because of Carlson’s offensive rhetoric.

A Brazilian Supreme Court minister has barred the Bolsonaro administration from investigating Glenn Greenwald and The Intercept for their reporting on the government’s unethical and potentially illegal conduct. (The Intercept)

The Wall Street Journal reports that Facebook has offered millions of dollars to ABC News, Dow Jones, Washington Post, and Bloomberg to license their content for a Facebook news section that will debut later in in 2019.

And Time Magazine reports the U.S. and the Taliban are close to a peace deal after 18 years of war. The agreement just happens to remove U.S. forces fast enough to meet Trump’s demand that all troops are out of Afghanistan by the November 2020 presidential election.

Direct download: 080919_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 8:15am EDT

Good morning,  Branko Marcetic from the Jacobin joins Michael Brooks to discuss his recent story, "Why the Right Hates Ilhan Omar." Conservatives hate her because of her race and religion, but they also fear the organizing and fighting she has done for working people of all races and beliefs.

As Donald Trump launches his 2020 campaign with his most extreme white supremacist rhetoric to date, Ilhan Omar finds herself at the center of the right's sight. Brooks and Marcetic break down the reasons why the right has it out for Omar. The misconceptions about Ilhan Omar are many and varied, but her focus on universal programs like student debt forgiveness, renters rights, and Medicare for All has set her apart from traditional midwest centrist Democrats like Amy Klobuchar. Marcetic places Omar in the populist history of the upper midwest, comparing her campaign to Paul Wellstone's 1990 Senate run, and his populist platform which backed labor groups and voting against repealing the Glass-Stiegel Act. It's hard to remember now, but the event that put Omar on the GOP's radar was when she questioned Elliot Abrams during his confirmation hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Marcetic argues that Omar's foreign policy critique, which challenges US imperialism, most angers the right and the foreign policy blob in DC. Brooks and Marcetic conclude their discussion by comparing the right's demonization of Omar with its previous campaign to vilify Obama. The right's racist campaign against Obama was effective insofar that Obama continued the wars in the Middle East, increased drone warfare, and bailing out Wall Street. Omar has shown no intent to appease Republicans' interests even in the face of death threats and harassment in the press.

And in the Fun Half: convincing Mexicans to maintain left politics after AMLO, updates on the situation in Kashmir, why now is the time for serious debate within the Democratic Caucus, Michael debriefs his debate with Destiny on Twitch, a moment to appreciate Neoliberal John, conservative media's new populism, Sam Harris says white supremacists are simply "shitposting" when they do mass killings, Hondurans are in the streets protesting President Juan Orlando Hernandez after SDNY released corruption charges tying him to the cartel cocaine trade, an update on Lula's imprisonment in Brazil,  plus your calls and IMs!

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 8-8-19-Branko_Marcetic-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:57pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

The NRA pulls its leash on Trump after he shows support for background checks. (Raw Story)

Meanwhile, all hospitalized victims of Sunday’s mass shooting in Texas refuse to meet with the president during his visit to El Paso. (CBS News)

And lastly, ICE detains nearly 700 workers in Mississippi. (Payday Report)

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

Elizabeth Warren is proposing a public option for the internet. The 2020 contender says she wants to make sure every U.S. home has a fiber broadband connection at an affordable cost.

From ABC News; Billionaire Tom Steyer has spent more than $6.6 million on television and online ads in the first four weeks of his campaign, according to television and online ad data.

And the New York Times reports that President Trump is reportedly mulling the commutation of the 14-year sentence of former Illinois Governor — and former Celebrity Apprentice contestant — Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted in 2011 of 17 federal corruption charges after trying to sell off the appointment to the vacated Senate seat of newly-elected President Barack Obama.

Direct download: 080819_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 8:52am EDT

Margaret O'Mara (@margaretomara), Professor of History at the University of Washington, joins us to discuss her book, The Code: Silicon Valley And the Remaking of America.

On today's show: Latino communities afraid in the wake of the El Paso shooting. Trump says it's a "terrific" opportunity to thank cops and first responders in TX and OH.

Margaret O'Mara (@margaretomara), Professor of History at the University of Washington, joins us to discuss her book, The Code: Silicon Valley And the Remaking of America. Silicon Valley is an increasingly influential center of power in US society, but few Americans understand it very well. In this book, O'Mara tracks its development from the 1940s to the present day, from the role played by the Cold War-era government in funding early tech companies, to tech's involvement in the security state, to tech's hypocritical libertarianism, to why the tech world remains so homogenous to this day.

On the fun half: Trump suggests Dayton shooter was Antifa, Bernie, Warren supporter. Trump asked if he regrets using the same language as El Paso shooter, says illegal immigration is terrible for the country. White House spokesman claims Obama's condemnation of racism "take us to a dark place." Pat Toomey gives an honest answer about why he won't ban assault weapons: "They're popular." Don Jr. says Joaquin Castro sharing Trump donors in San Antonio is the same as the Dayton shooter's rape/kill list. Fox News tries to clarify differences between FEC report and rape/kill list, Don Jr. doubles down. Joaquin Castro explains the difference between "doxxing" and pointing out publicly available FEC info. Tucker Carlson says white supremacy is not a problem, but a "conspiracy theory used to divide the country." QAnon woman explains the power of the Q movement. Bernie tells Joe Rogan how we must redefine "greatness" for America, talks Wall Street speculation tax. Bernie tells Rogan he'll declassify UFO info because his wife would make him.

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@majorityfm

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@BF1nn

Direct download: 8-7-19-Margaret_Omara-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:23pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Poll: Biden leads 2020 Democrats while Warren surges and Harris drops. (The Hill)

Elizabeth Warren Leads the way among crossover donors. (WSJ)

Orange County, the place where Ronald Reagan said ”the good Republicans go to die" is now a place where Democrats outnumber Republicans. (OCR)

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

The AP reports that North Korea leader Kim Jong Un supervised a live-fire demonstration of newly developed, short-range ballistic missiles intended to send a warning to the United States and South Korea over their joint military exercises.

The Hill reports that the U.S. Department of Agriculture may have violated the law with its decision to relocate two offices from Washington, D.C. to the Kansas City area.

Also from The Hill, New Mexico’s Democratic governor is pushing back against the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to help the state fight contamination from “forever chemicals” spread by a military base.

And from Forward.com, a letter sent by National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Emmer to party members identified three “left-wing radicals” that he says “bought control of Congress for the Democrats.” Surprise! They are all Jewish.

Direct download: 080719_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:11am EDT

Journalist Emily Guendelsberger, author of 'On the Clock: What Low-Wage Work Did to Me and How It Drives America Insane,' joins us.

On today's show: Stuart Varney says Democrats raising the minimum wage to $15/hour is "basically" vote buying. Ainsley Earhardt once again brings up her friend's mayo restaurant.

Journalist Emily Guendelsberger joins us to discuss her new book, 'On the Clock: What Low-Wage Work Did to Me and How It Drives America Insane.'  In the tradition of Barbara Ehrenreich's 'Nickel and Dimed,' Guendelsberger worked low-wage jobs at Amazon, McDonalds, and a call center, each of which represents a growing sector of the economy. Incorporating personal experience, interviews with workers, statistics, and psychology, she paints a disturbing picture of the threat to human health and happiness posed by corporate giants incentivized to treats their workers like robots.

On the fun half: Hannity and Bongino collaborate to end school shootings with retired cop patrol. Ben Shapiro says we'll have dumb political fights over gun control instead of reform. Brian Kilmeade defends 'invasion' term allegedly used by El Paso suspect. Beto tells press he can't call out Trump by himself, press needs to call out racism. Eddie Glaude Jr. explains American exceptionalism and why we're always shocked by our innate racism and dark past.

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@majorityfm

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@BF1nn

Direct download: 8-6-19-Emily_Guendelsberger-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:09pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

The NRA spent $1.6 million lobbying against background check expansion laws in months leading up to the nations latest mass shootings. (CNBC)

Meanwhile, China confirms it will be suspending agricultural product purchases in response to President Trump’s new tariffs. (CNN)

And lastly, AOC rips Mitch McConnell after a picture surfaces of young men in ‘Team Mitch’ shirts ‘groping & choking’ cutout of her. (Raw Story)

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

From the New Food Economy; Those fuzzy brown bowls served at Chipotle and Sweetgreen restaurants that are supposed to be compostable actually contain something called "forever chemicals" that have been linked to cancer.

The Hill reports that House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler will decide whether to move forward with articles of impeachment against President Trump by late fall of this year 

Politico is reporting that a leading climate scientist is quitting the Agriculture Department after two decades because of the Trump administration’s efforts to bury his study showing how rice loses nutrients due to rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The findings raise potentially serious concerns for the 600 million people globally who depend on the crop for most of their calories.

And, the Dallas Morning News reports that President Donald Trump, who plans to visit El Paso this week, still owes city more than $500K for expenses related to a rally of his in February.

Direct download: 080619_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:32am EDT

Igor Volsky, Executive Director of Guns Down America and author of 'Guns Down: How to Defeat the NRA and Build a Safer Future with Fewer Guns,' joins us.

On today's show: Beto responds to question about what Trump can do to unite country: "He's not tolerating racism, he's promoting racism." Trump addresses nation: "Hate has no place in America." May 2019: Trump says migrants are an "invasion," laughs when someone in crowd says "shoot 'em!"

Igor Volsky, Executive Director of Guns Down America and author of 'Guns Down: How to Defeat the NRA and Build a Safer Future with Fewer Guns,' joins us to discuss the latest mass shootings and what can be done to implement better gun control in the US. While it would not be un-thinkable to amend the second amendment down the line, there are many regulations politicians could enact now, should they choose to do so. Also: the outsized role played by Walmart. For more, visit WalmartMustAct.org and EmergencySenateSession.org.

Tucker Carlson, talking about migrant caravan, calls it "an invasion." Mike Huckabee, Stuart Varney, repeat the "invasion" rhetoric. Jake Tapper compares white supremacists to Palestinian leaders. Eddie Glaude Jr. says Mick Mulvaney can't acknowledge El Paso shooter is domestic terrorist: "There's an ideology at work here." Fox News guest blames mass shootings on video games. TX Lt. Governor says shootings happen because there's no more prayer in schools. Tim Ryan withdraws from presidential election, tells Republicans to "get their shit together." Charlie Kirk says young people engage in mass shootings because of climate anxiety, and it's the left's fault for feeding them lies. Pat McCrory says radical left antifa needs to be recognized the same as white supremacists. Soccer player Alejandro Bedoya uses on-field mic to call on Congress to end gun violence.

Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com

Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@majorityfm

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@BF1nn

Direct download: 8-5-19-Sam_Seder.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:37pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

8Chan, a web forum popular with white supremacists is dropped by its cybersecurity provider in the wake of the mass shooting in El Paso. (NBC News)

Mexico looks into taking legal action against the US after six Mexican nationals were killed and seven others were injured in El Paso. (CNN)

A leaked international climate report says attempts to solve our climate crisis by cutting carbon emissions from only cars, factories and power plants are doomed to failure. (Guardian)

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

From The Hill, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Saturday that he hoped to soon place ground-launched, intermediate-range missiles in Asia, a day after the United States pulled itself from a Cold War-era arms control pact.

Politico reports that the DNC is placing operatives in six battleground state to focus exclusively on attacking President Trump and driving local conversation about his policies ahead of the 2020 election.

CNN is reporting that the mass protests in Hong Kong have forced its biggest airline, Cathay Pacific, to cancel more than 150 flights on Monday and urge passengers to postpone non-essential travel.

And former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel is ending his bid for president, which was run by a pair of social media-savvy teenagers.

Direct download: 080519_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:05am EDT

On today's show, Alex Pareene joins us to discuss Mitch McConnell, election security, and why Marianne Williamson's platform is more durable than politicos think. We're live at noon eastern time.

In his first day back from debate coverage, Sam assesses the Sanders/Warren coalition and the wide-ranging demographics the two candidates cover. Alex Pareene explains Joe Biden's declining on-stage performance and why attacks from Cory Booker and Kamala Harris are beneficial to progressive left candidates like Warren and Sanders. While Biden is still in pole position, every candidate right of Sanders and Warren is taking his or her shot at the former vice president. Sam then explores the Sanders campaign strategy and its focus on organizing labor forces across the country. The progressives are ascending, and roles have flipped. The progressives have been center stage, and the centrist technocrats are on the outside.

Democrats have crossed a threshold with 118 Democratic Caucus members now in support of impeachment. Sam and Alex discuss what Pelosi will do now that the majority of her caucus supports impeachment proceedings. Next, Alex and Sam breakdown Mitch McConnell's resistance to the Senate's election security bills and why McConnell will fight to the death to keep money in politics. Likewise, why do Americans seem apathetic to expanding voting rights or securing election integrity?

Judy Gold joins Sam with a litany of rage. Some of her targets: Mitch McConnell, Trump's racism, Bill de Blasio's sideburns, MAGA people in her audience, Democratic indecision and infighting, and CNN's masturbatory patriotism. Judy wishes Jerry Nadler and Chuck Schumer would take a page out of Bernie Sanders' book on rage and mobilizing voters. Marianne Williamson's self-help is only for the rich and is all bullshit. But, ending on something positive, Judy says look to Puerto Rico's mass mobilization is something to aspire towards--get out there and do something!

And in the Fun Half: appreciating Bill O'Reilly's prose, taking the temperature of the disengaged electorate, the first Pareene "pause it," Jesse Watters praises Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield, Nikki Haley bravely uses emojis to protest Donald Trump's ambient racism, the Trump rally crowd applauds black attendees, Trump remembers the USSR, but not the Warsaw Uprising, and why TPP could sink an "electable" Democratic candidate in a general election against Trump, Jeff in Georgia offers himself up as a running mate to Sam's Libertarian ticket, plus your calls and IMs!

Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@majorityfm

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@BF1nn

 

Direct download: 8-2-19-Alex_Pareene-Judy_Gold-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:47pm EDT

Welcome to Majority.FM's AM QUICKIE! Brought to you by justcoffee.coop
 
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
 
Another day, another GOP retirement. This time it’s the lone black Republican in the House of Representatives.
 
Meanwhile, the Pentagon prepares to withdraw thousands of troops from Afghanistan as part of a proposed peace deal with the Taliban.
 
And lastly, good morning Nancy Pelosi! More than half of House Democrats now say they’ll vote to launch impeachment proceedings against President Trump. 
 
And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:
Daily Beast reports that former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach has been using a nonprofit group he advises to raise money for his U.S. Senate campaign, and legal experts say one recent fundraising push likely ran afoul of federal campaign finance laws.
 
From the Washington Post, three NRA board members who raised concerns about reports of reckless spending and mismanagement by the group's leadership resigned Thursday, another sign of mounting dissent within the nation's most powerful gun-rights group.
 
New York Times is reporting that the Manhattan district attorney's office has subpoenaed the Trump Organization, requesting documents related to hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels, several people briefed on the matter told The New York Times Thursday.
 
And the FBI for the first time has identified fringe conspiracy theories as a domestic terrorist threat, according to a previously unpublicized document obtained by Yahoo News. 
Direct download: 080219_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:18am EDT

Good morning, Djene Bajalan joins Michael Brooks to discuss the current state of Turkey and Erdogan's role in the Middle East. Plus, how might a Democratic president approach diplomatic relations with Erdogan's government? Michael and Djene kick off their discussion with an assessment of the Democratic field's foreign policy agendas. Djene believes the way forward on progressive foreign policy is taking a more holistic approach which goes beyond condemning interventionism and endless imperialism. Instead, it's time to start providing plans to keep bad actors like Saudi Arabia from escalating tensions in the Middle East, like Sanders' plan to withhold aid and arms sales. Michael and Djene then compare and contrast Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders' track record on foreign policy, with Warren's institutional pedigree and Sanders' citizen diplomacy. Djene next breaks down Tulsi Gabbard's center-left, anti-intervention foreign policy, and its inconsistencies like her relationships with Bashar al-Assad and Narendra Modi. Switching gears, Djene explores the latest round of Turkish elections which saw significant gains for opposition parties to Erdogan. The government has challenged these election results, and in some cases wiped election results and arranged new elections. Michael and Djene conclude their conversation considering Erdogan and his government as the prototype for global authoritarianism which has spanned over the world.

And in the Fun Half: Chris Matthews is a quant now, Bill de Blasio grills Biden on Obama's immigration record, Cory Booker explains why Biden's immigration stance plays into Republicans' immigration agenda, Neera Tanden says Democratic voters can't criticize the establishment if they want to win, Pharma is fighting M4A and the public option because why not, why Mike Gravel was snubbed from the CNN debates, Cornel West diagnoses the neoliberal panic in the Democratic party, Tulsi Gabbard lays out Kamala Harris' prosecutorial record very plainly, Marianne Williamson's constituents convince her to support M4A, CNN protects America's never-ending war policy, why Jay Inslee should remain on the debate stage, weighing the Sanders campaign against the Warren campaign, Ronald Reagan confirms he is in fact racist, Ben Shapiro says Flint was not a product of structural racism, plus your calls and IMs!

Become a member today at JoinTheMajorityReport.com

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@majorityfm

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@BF1nn

Direct download: 8-11-19-Djene_Bajalan-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:11pm EDT

Welcome to Majority.FM's AM QUICKIE! Brought to you by justcoffee.coop
 
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
 
The president’s intelligence watchdog tells top Senate Democrats that he can’t investigate how the White House handled security clearances for Jared Kushner and Ivanka unless Trump asks him to.
 
Meanwhile, Ben Carson gets booted off a Baltimore church’s property after attempting to hold a press conference there without permission. 
 
And lastly, Kentucky coal miners block train tracks in protest after their bankrupted employers stop paying them.
 
And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:
 
From Politico, the Federal Reserve on Wednesday announced it is cutting interest rates for the first time in more than a decade, as a slowdown in global growth and the fallout from President Donald Trump’s trade wars cloud an otherwise solid U.S. economy.
 
Think Progress reports that the United States will officially leave the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty on Friday, undoing 32 years of nonproliferation efforts and marking what some worry will be a new arms race between Russia and the US.
 
The Hill is reporting that Arizona has filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Court, asking the justices to order the Sackler family — the owners of Purdue Pharma — to return billions of dollars in connection with their handling of the opioid epidemic.
 
And the New York Times reports that Jeff Epstein, the billionaire accused of sex trafficking, had one hoped to seed the human race with his DNA by impregnating women at his vast New Mexico ranch.
Direct download: 080119_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:28am EDT

We're back, live for the second Democratic debate from Detroit! Join the MR Crew as we breakdown the debate between (in stage order) Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro of Texas, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, ex-Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, venture capitalist Andrew Yang, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. We're live at 7:50 on Twitch!

Become a member today at JoinTheMajorityReport.com

Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@majorityfm

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@BF1nn

Direct download: 7-31-19-Debate_Detroit_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:28pm EDT

Direct download: 7-31-19-Debate_Detroit_1-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

Welcome to Majority.FM's AM QUICKIE! Brought to you by justcoffee.coop
 
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
 
Five GOP lawmakers retire in just two weeks as Republicans brace for a wave of exits before the 2020 election.
 
Meanwhile, Ted Cruz begs Trump to give the rich another big tax cut after he’s done taking food stamps away from millions of Americans.
 
And lastly, California Governor Gavin Newsom thinks California has figured out a way to force President Trump to finally release his tax returns.
 
And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:
 
Washington Post reports the Trump administration is set to announce that it will waive five different nuclear-related sanctions on Iran, preserving a key part of the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal.
 
Senate Democrats led by Tom Udall and Chuck Schumer rallied in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building on Tuesday to announce their plans to introduce a constitutional amendment to overturn the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision.
 
William Perry Pendley, Trump’s new head of the Interior Department's public lands agency, once championed selling off federally-owned plots. (EcoNews)
 
And from The Hill, the Trump administration wants to scrap restrictions on arsenic-laden waste from coal-fired power plants. The EPA has proposed lifting some regulations on coal ash, the residue left after burning coal, which is filled with hazardous substances that can leach into the water supply and cause health problems.
Direct download: 073119_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:20am EDT

Check out the MR crew's live coverage of the Democratic primary debate tonight starting at 7:45pm ET at twitch.tv/themajorityreport!

On today's show: Trump says he's the least racist person in the world. Trump says "the African American people" have been calling the White House, thanking him. Rush Limbaugh assures Fox & Friends audience that Trump is "not a racist." CNN pollster does centrism, says establishment Dems are worried Sanders and Warren are going too far left for the mainstream. (Counterpoint: the latest poll numbers.) Former Obama advisor Robert Wolf says most of the Dem candidates are moderates. Bernie pushes back on Kamala's "m4a" plan. Warren's trade policy proposal.

On the fun half: Nicholas Sarwark (@nsarwark), the chair of the Libertarian National Committee, joins Sam to discuss his potential run in the libertarian presidential primary. After assessing Sam's chances, the two have a spirited back and forth on healthcare policy, social security, and more.

Ben Shapiro complains about Bernie: "Greed is your religion." The crew dissects Dave Rubin's book. Mitch McConnell says calls of "Moscow Mitch" hurt his feelings. Ted Cruz booed at LAX because of ICE/kids in cages. Fox's Pete Hegseth says Rashida Tlaib has a "Hamas agenda." Supercut of Kamala Harris flip-flopping on m4a. Rand Paul says he'll pay for Ilhan Omar's trip back to Somalia.

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Become a member today at JoinTheMajorityReport.com

Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@majorityfm

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@BF1nn

Direct download: 7-30-19-Sam_Seder-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:40pm EDT

Welcome to Majority.FM's AM QUICKIE! Brought to you by justcoffee.coop
 
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
 
Republicans’ annual party retreat will take place in the same city President Trump recently called dangerous & filthy. (WaPo)
 
Meanwhile, rich parents in Chicago are literally giving up their kids to avoid paying full college tuition. (ProPublica)
 
And lastly, Mitch McConnell gets an excellent new nickname after blocking a bunch of bipartisan election security bills. (Axios)
 
And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:
 
NBC News reports that an Instagram post connected to the 19-year-old who killed three people at a food festival in Northern California to a book that is a staple among neo-Nazis and white supremacists.
 
Also from NBC News, the Trump administration determined that more than 500,000 children would no longer be automatically eligible for free school meals under a proposed overhaul to the food stamp program, but conveniently left that figure out of its formal proposal.
 
2020 Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has announced a trade plan that would give labor and environmental groups more influence over trade deals; a major break from past Democratic administrations. (Politico)
 
And The Intercept reports that violence in Africa has spiked dramatically, with the number of “violent events” jumping 960 percent since the Pentagon started U.S. Africa Command operations in 2008.
Direct download: 073019_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:25am EDT

Jonathan M. Metzl (@JonathanMetzl), director of the Center for Medicine, Health, and Society at Vanderbilt University, joins us to discuss his book, Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment Is Killing America's Heartland.

On today's show: Trump signing 9/11 first responders bill, says he was down in FiDi during 9/11.

Jonathan M. Metzl (@JonathanMetzl) joins us to discuss his book, Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment Is Killing America's Heartland. Metzl, a physician, wanted to understand why members of the white working class would vote against their own material interests, so he traveled to America's heartland. Looking at the role played by racism in pro-gun laws in Missouri, cuts to schools and social services in Kansas, and resistance to the ACA in Tennessee, Metzl examines the connection between racial resentment and policies that hurt all working class people, whites included.

On the fun half: Jake Tapper asks Bernie Sanders why he calls pharma c-suite "murderers." Tapper asks Rashida Tlaib if BDS is anti-Semitic and why she doesn't start a boycott of Egypt. Kamala Harris' disingenuous m4a proposal. Reddit thread shows how Dave Rubin has shadow banned "Sam Seder" from YT chats. Bernie Sanders explains diplomatic stance towards Israel. John Ratcliffe, new DNI chief, says he trusts Barr and Horowitz to get to the bottom of Obama administration's illegal surveillance of Trump. CNN anchor from Baltimore defends city after Trump's comments, chokes up. Baltimore woman asks why money is going to border and migrants while Baltimore struggles; Fox and Friends try to drive a wedge between US-born and foreign-born working poor.

Become a member today at JoinTheMajorityReport.com

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@majorityfm

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@BF1nn

Direct download: 7-29-19-Jonathan_Metzl-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:33pm EDT

Welcome to Majority.FM's AM QUICKIE! Brought to you by justcoffee.coop
 
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
 
President Trump fires his Director of National Intelligence for telling the truth and then nominates a conspiracy theorist Yes Man for the job. (AlterNet)
 
Meanwhile, the number 3 ranked Senate Democrat calls for House to begin impeachment proceedings against Trump as nearly half of House Democrats now back an impeachment inquiry into the president. (TPM)
 
And lastly, Bernie Sanders tells CNN that he regrets voting for Joe Biden's 1994 “terrible” crime bill. (CNN)
 
And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:
 
Politico reports the Supreme Court has lifted a lower court order blocking a key part of President Trump’s plan to expand his useless border wall with Mexico. (Politico)
 
From the AP; Nearly 1,400 people were detained in a violent police crackdown on an opposition protest in Moscow. This is the largest number of detentions at a rally in the Russian capital this decade. (AP News)
 
NBC News reports three people were killed, including a 6-year-old boy, and 15 were wounded Sunday after a gunman cut through a fence to avoid security and opened fire at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California. A suspect was shot and killed by police. A second suspect was still on the loose late Sunday. (NBC Bay Area)
Direct download: 072919_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:24am EDT

Digby (@digby56) and Anthony Fantano (@theneedledrop), host of the Needle Drop, join us!

On today's show: Trump walks into TP USA summit. TP USA uses fake presidential seal by accident.

Digby (@digby56), of Salon.com and Digby's Hullabaloo, joins us to talk Mueller hearings and the case for impeachment. As usual, Sam and Digby wonder what, exactly, the Democrats are smoking to be so risk averse at this point in the game.

Anthony Fantano (@theneedledrop), host of The Needle Drop, joins us to discuss Trump's efforts to free the rapper A$AP Rocky from Sweden's clutches. Anthony then discusses the relationship between pop and politics before giving personalized music recs to each member of the crew.

On the fun half: Trump says illegals are donning disguises and voting many times in California. Asked if she's trying to run the clock out on impeachment, Pelosi says no, "let's get sophisticated." Edited Ilhan Omar video shared by the right vs. what she actually said about the threat posed by white men. Donald Trump tells Hannity that Barr can share classified intel documents w/ Nunes. Hannity and Nunes speak in unison.

Become a member today at JoinTheMajorityReport.com

Check out today's sponsor: To get started, just go to StitchFix.com/MAJORITY, answer some questions about your preferred style, and your personal shopper will ship you a box of clothes, shoes, and accessories.

Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@majorityfm

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@BF1nn

Direct download: 7-26-19-Digby-Anthony_Fantano-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:48pm EDT

Welcome to Majority.FM's AM QUICKIE! Brought to you by justcoffee.coop
 
TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Mitch McConnell shuts down a trio of election security bills ahead of 2020 as a new Senate report confirms Russia’s hacking campaign targeted all 50 states in 2016 

Meanwhile, pressure builds on Nancy Pelosi as the vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus calls for opening an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.

And lastly, Maine Senator Susan Collins might back out of 2020 election as her approval rating plummets.

 
And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:
 
New York Times is reporting that The Senate Intelligence Committee concluded Thursday that election systems in all 50 states were targeted by Russia in 2016, largely undetected by the states and federal officials at the time.

ProPublica reports three University of Mississippi students face a possible civil rights investigation after posing with guns in front of Emmett Till memorial.

CBS News reports Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate Mark Kelly ripped an initiative to make Tucson, Arizona a "sanctuary city," saying that he will not vote for the measure.

The Hill reports Oregon's governor has signed into law a bill that eliminates a waiting period for assisted suicide medications for patients with short life expectancies.

Washington Posts is reporting automakers from three continents have struck a deal with California to increase gas mileage standards for their U.S. fleets over the next six years, an agreement that could undercut one of the Trump administration’s most ambitious climate policy 

CNN announced that the network will hold a climate change town hall for Democratic 2020 presidential candidates — a move that comes after months of mounting pressure from the Democratic hopefuls and progressive organizations.

 
 
Direct download: 072619_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:11am EDT

Good morning, on today's Majority Report, Fernando Tormos-Aponte from Scholars Strategy Network joins Michael Brooks to discuss his recent piece in the Jacobin, "Puerto Rico Rises," to explain how the Puerto Rican people organized and mobilized for change in their government after leaks of Governor Ricardo Rosselló and his administration's callous communications. We're live at 12:00 pm EST.

Brooks and Tormos-Aponte begin the interview looking back at the now former governor, Ricardo Rossello, who Tormos argues has been bred for the governorship since his youth when his father, Pedro Rosselló, was governor of Puerto Rico and young Ricardo was educated at private schools and Ivy League schools in the States. Tormos-Aponte then details the leaked text group involving Rossello and his executives, which showed the government's corruption with its fiscal control board and the elected officials cruel remarks about Hurricane Maria victims and the LGBTQ community. But why did leaked group texts lead to the governor's resignation? Much of Puerto Rico's financial distress and growing poverty can be attributed to the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act or PROMESA, which established strict oversight of the island's finances and austerity leading to large cuts in the public sector. Beyond PROMESA's austerity, Puerto Ricans believe Rossello has not fought hard enough on their behalf, where budgets to education and law enforcement have been cut and the electrical grid privatized. According to Tormos-Aponte, the island has not seen such strong protests since 2001 when cross-sectional mass protests called for the removal of the US military from the island municipality of Vieques. Tormos-Aponte says the next steps in taking back the government are just as important as removing Rossello. This is a bottom up revolution that will investigate the debt issued to Puerto Rico and one that won't stop with Rossello, who "they know he's just a figurehead," says Tormos-Aponte. Brooks ends the interview asking how the continental 48 can extend solidarity to Puerto Rico. For Tormos-Aponte, it's a simple, advocate for a constitutional assembly in Puerto Rico decide its own future, whether that be statehood or outright independence.

And in the Fun Half:

Anti-BDS measures are meant to drive wedge on the left, ICE terrorizes black and brown people to ethnically cleanse America, Cole James Cash tells all about his Jesse Lee Peterson experience, Bernie gives his pitch to the NAACP conference in Detroit, Trump's next big global peace efforts in Kashmir, ICE officers break a migrant's car window without a seizure warrant, Josh Hawley is seeding the ground for national socialism, plus your calls and IMs!

Become a member today at JoinTheMajorityReport.com

Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 7-25-19-Fernando_Tormos_Aponte-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:23pm EDT

Welcome to Majority.FM's AM QUICKIE! Brought to you by justcoffee.coop
 
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
 
Amid mass protests Puerto Rico’s governor finally announces his resignation, admitting he can no longer credibly remain in power. (TPM)
 
Meanwhile, President Trump vetos a a bi-partisan resolution to block arms sales to his good buddies in Saudi Arabia. (CNN)
 
And lastly, Nancy Pelosi denies the latest calls for Trump’s impeachment, following the testimony of special counsel Robert Mueller. (Politico)
 
And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:
 
BuzzFeed News reports that a federal court judge in San Francisco on Wednesday blocked a policy banning asylum for thousands of Central Americans and others who cross through Mexico to reach the southern border, dealing a significant blow to the Trump administration’s effort to restrict immigration.
 
The Intercept is reporting Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner, who campaigned in 2017 as an unequivocal opponent of the death penalty, asked the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in a legal filing Monday night to declare the state’s death penalty system unconstitutional.
 
AP reports that a federal judge blocked new abortion restrictions in Arkansas minutes before they were set to take effect Wednesday, including a measure that opponents say would likely force the state’s only surgical abortion clinic to close.
 
House of Representatives has approved an anti-robocalling measure that would make it easier for the government to impose tougher penalties on illegal robocallers and fraudsters. (The Verge)
 
And the Dallas Morning News has a story today about Francisco Erwin Galicia, a Dallas-born U.S. citizen, who spent 23 days in the custody of the U.S. Border Protection in conditions that made him so desperate he says he almost opted to self-deport.
Direct download: 072519_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:07am EDT

The MR Crew breaks down Robert Mueller's appearance in front of the House Judiciary Committee.

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 7-24-19-Robert_Mueller.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:37pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Robert Mueller throws in a last-minute request ahead of today's blockbuster testimony, and Republicans aren't happy about it. (NBC News)

The House votes to condemn the Boycott Israel Movement despite protests from Reps. Ilhan Omar And Rashida Tlaib. (BF News)

And lastly, Trump tells a crowd of confused right-wing teens that he has the Constitutional power to do “whatever I want as president.” Spoiler alert: He doesn’t! (BI)

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

Bloomberg reports House Democrats have unveiled climate change goals that are a far cry from the ambitious Green New Deal being championed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other progressives.

Right Wing Watch reports that Danielle Stella, a Republican candidate seeking to unseat Rep. Ilhan Omar in 2020, is a firm believer in the QAnon conspiracy theories. 

The Hill reports that former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is now working for some of the same oil and mining companies he regulated while at the helm of the Department of Interior. 

And WaPo is reporting that government agencies in parts of Maryland are now banned from cooperating with ICE raids or investigations, in what advocates say is the strongest action taken in support of undocumented immigrants in the Washington DC region.

Direct download: 072419_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:29am EDT

Anthony Abraham Jack, Assistant Professor of Education at Harvard University, joins us to discuss his book, The Privileged Poor: How Elite Colleges Are Failing Disadvantaged Students. 

On today's show: Ainsley Earhardt says waiters want tips, not wages; Brian Kilmeade says the waitstaff talent scouts might hear about you, too.

Anthony Abraham Jack, Assistant Professor of Education at Harvard University, joins us to discuss his book, The Privileged Poor: How Elite Colleges Are Failing Disadvantaged Students. Elite colleges and universities have begun admitting a more racially and economically diverse range of students in recent years. But once they get there, these students face difficulties that are not being addressed. From campus culture to food insecurity, Jack explores the areas in which colleges must improve if they want to adequately support students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

On the fun half: Predictions for how the Democrats will screw up tomorrow's Mueller hearings. Larry Kudlow says there's nothing to raise wages like private sector growth. Matt Walsh argues for a $0 minimum wage after negative McDonald's experience. Trump says he could wipe out Afghanistan and win the war in 10 days. Fake Susan Collins campaign ad: "Disappointed." ICE attempted to bring a TN man into custody; his neighbors formed a human chain to protect him and his son. Nadler says Mueller doesn't need to listen to DOJ request to remain within boundaries. DeBlasio says ConEd should become a public utility.

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

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Direct download: 7-23-19-Anthony_Abraham_Jack-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:27pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Democrats and Trump agree on a budget deal that neither side will be completely happy with. (PBS)

Meanwhile, DOJ officials tell Robert Mueller make his congressional testimony on Wednesday as pointless as possible. (Splinter)

And lastly, Trump turns the cartoon super-villainy up to eleven, as the White House makes plans to take food stamps away from over 3 million Americans. (Daily Beast)

 

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

NBC News reports Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and her family have seen profits soar since Trump’s deregulation efforts and his massive tax cuts for the rich.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Monday predicted an imminent economic crisis unless the Trump administration and Congress quickly pass legislation to regulate the financial sector and significantly reduce middle class household debt.

Sen. Kamala Harris and Rep. Jerry Nadler introduced a bill on Tuesday that would expunge marijuana-based convictions and use tax revenue to help create trust funds for communities impacted by the War on Drugs. (Daily Beast)

Vice reports that 26% of all climate change references have vanished from .Gov sites since Trump took office.

And Axios reports that a Louisiana police officer who suggested on Facebook that Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez should be shot was fired from his job, along with a second officer who liked his post.

 

 

Direct download: 072319_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:46am EDT

On today's show: Ron Johnson says "love it or leave it" wasn't racist in the 60s. White House's Mercedes Schlapp: Trump is not a racist, he "stands with the people who support him." Stephen Bannon: core of Trump's platform is "deconstruction of the administrative state." Sam breaks down how Trump's been doing this and the threat it poses.

On the fun half: John from San Antonio on the latest primary polls. Con Ed foists intentional blackout on Canarsie; residents are pissed. Stephen Miller tells Chris Wallace Omar and squad are not patriotic, calling the country "garbage;" Chris Wallace pulls up old Trump tweet where he says the same thing about Obama. Cole James Cash on his impending Jesse Lee Peterson appearance. Mimi Rocha says Bernie Sanders makes her skin crawl. Dave Rubin destroyed by orbs and logic. Greg Abbott signs Texas Chik Fil A "free speech" bill into law. TP USA graphic is helping to abolish the electoral college. Hong Kong mob of "white shirts" beat up protesters who want greater autonomy from China.

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 7-22-19-Sam_Seder-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:25pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Puerto Rico's governor says he’ll finish his term, will not run for reelection next year (Miami Herald)

Most Americans disagree with Trump's "go back" tweets (CBS News

Immigrants and their kids founded 45% of U.S. Fortune 500 companies (New American Economy)

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

Axios reports Jared Kushner will travel to Jerusalem and several other capitals in the Middle East next week to discuss how to move forward with the Trump administration’s Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.

WaPo is reporting that congress is nearing a federal budget deal that would include few—if any—immediate spending cuts, and would lift the debt limit for two years.

AFP reports Israel began demolishing a number of Palestinian homes south of Jerusalem early Monday, a move which has drawn international concern.

And the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said in a statement that the Trump administration plans to revise the U.S. citizenship test to ensure that "it continues to serve as an accurate measure of a naturalization applicant's civics knowledge.” (NPR)

Direct download: 072219_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:23am EDT

Trump disavows his own supporters?

Good morning, Benjamin Dixon (@BenjaminPDixon), host of the Benjamin Dixon show joins us today. Benjamin explains why even if Trump is defeated he has left sustained body blows on America, is the media starting to understand the Republican Party? Bill Barr backs Donald Trump and are our institutions failing? Joe Biden in trouble? Benjamin and Sam make debate predictions, of course never believe Trump apologies and the money behind the far right culture war.

On the Fun Half: Ilhan Omar is welcomed home in Minneapolis and gives an inspiring address. Marco Rubio, tests an incredibly lame defense of Republican racists. Debunking the Ilhan Omar anti semitism lies. A caller explains the future of the heartland and the climate crisis. Ronald Raygun, has a Rubin style insight. What type of campaign will 2020 be? Alan Dershowitz, explains he has a "perfect sex" record. Sanders, Warren and labor. Dan Crenshaw, does lame propaganda against raising the Minimum Wage and your calls & IMs.


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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@majorityfm

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@BF1nn

Direct download: 7-19-19-Ben_Dixon-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: 

House Dems warn Omar in 'imminent danger' after Trump rally chants (POLITICO)

Trump Nominates Antonin Scalia’s Son as Labor Secretary (Mother Jones)

Joe Biden, Kamala Harris will face off again as lineups for CNN Democratic primary debates are set (CNN)

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

Axios is reporting that John Delaney's senior team sat him down and told him to drop out of the presidential race by mid-August. Delaney’s reportedly spent nearly $19 million as a 2020 candidate since 2017.

The House on Thursday passed legislation to gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, following through on a key Democratic campaign promise and ending a six-month struggle within the caucus. (POLITICO)

The Hill reports that the Pentagon is preparing to deploy 500 troops to Saudi Arabia amid escalating tensions with Iran.

New York Times is reporting that after years of legal wrangling, the E.P.A. will not ban Chlorpyrifos, a pesticide which has been linked to developmental disabilities.

And lastly, Five-Thirty-Eight reports that there is only one US senator more unpopular that Susan Collins and that is Senate Majority leader, and self proclaimed Grim Reaper of of all things good… Cocaine Mitch McConnell.

Direct download: 071919_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:51am EDT

Good morning, joining Michael Brooks this Thursday on the Majority Report is Ben Burgis, author of Give Them an Argument: Logic for the Left, to discuss the 2020 Democratic candidates and their particular uses of logic to attract voters before they head to the polls. With the second round of Democratic debates only 2 weeks away, Michael and Ben examine how the format can be improved and better inform prospective voters. Burgis believes the debates have fallen to a state of "he said, she said" format where follow-up questions are little more than trivia. Burgis then explains what logic and rhetoric means in political discourse. Logic is the substance of your arguments while rhetoric is the way you describe those arguments. Burgis argues that logic without rhetoric is ineffective to convince people, but rhetoric without logic is like a gift wrapped box with nothing in it, aka Ben Shapiro. Burgis and Brooks look into some of the logically inconsistent arguments developing in the 2020 campaign, including the Medicare for All versus Medicare for Those Who Want It. In all polling on healthcare, the question is never "do you like your health insurance?" it's always "are you satisfied with your coverage?" which does not address people's real problems with their healthcare like keeping their doctor, actually using their insurance, and the complexities of in-network navigation, billing, or claims processing. But how do you convince someone who prefers reform over structural change? Burgis believes this is a hard argument to make because the details of Warren's "plan for that" platform is more palatable for voters who see structural reform as unrealistic, despite the fact that means-tested programs are always culled after they're initiated.

And in the Fun Half: Meghan McCain found a way to make the Squad v. Trump development about her agency, beyond 2020: removing the conditions that brought Trump, Bernie Sanders explains why the M4A criticism of "it can't be done" is baseless, Dave Rubin clip of the day, Puerto Rico is due statehood, diet and wellbeing in a socialized healthcare system, Lindsey Graham says a MAGA Somali would be a celebrity at the Trump White House, Ilhan Omar explains why Trump is both a racist and a fascist, Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein party at Mar-A-Lago, the next steps in forming a new Sudanese government, plus your calls and IMs!

Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with an introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

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Direct download: 7-18-19-Ben_Burgis-PUB.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:40pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES: 

TrumpRally Erupts in Raucous Chants of ‘Send Her Back’ as Trump Goes After Minnesota’s Ilhan Omar (The Root)

Rand Paul blocks funding bill for 9/11 victims over hypocritical budget concerns. (ThinkProgress)

House Democrats voting to hold Barr, Ross in contempt. (Hill)

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

Joshua Trees are being wiped out by Climate Change (Earther)

Ebola Outbreak in Congo is declared a global health emergency (NYT)

DNC warns 2020 campaigns not to use FaceApp developed by Russians (CNN)

Democrats ask Labor Department to investigate Amazon warehouses (The Hill)

Widespread, oppressive and dangerous heat to roast much of the U.S. through the weekend (WaPo)

Direct download: 071819_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:22am EDT

On today's show, Elie Mystal, Executive Editor at Above the Law, joins us to discuss his cover story in the Nation, "Donald Trump and the Plot to Take Over the Courts."

Sam and Mystal take a 30,000 ft. view of Trump's judicial maneuvers before moving to particular judges and their legal records on the bench. Trump and McConnell have confirmed at least 123 federal judges, including 41 to the circuit court of appeals judges. 14% of all federal judges are Trump judges, and 22% of all circuit court judges are Trump appointees. McConnell was a huge roadblock for Obama entire legal project, with 116 vacancies at the end of Obama second time. With the benefit of hindsight, Sam and Mystal agree that the liberal progressive movement has not done the organizational work needed to bring left-leaning judges and lawyers to the federal bench. According to Mystal, the GOP knows how to play this game, the Federalist Society and Judicial Crisis network know how to slam liberal organizations like the American Constitution Society and ACLU as unhinged leftists.

Shifting gears, Mystal explains why your region's circuit court of appeals is the most instrumental in determining your state's laws. The final arbiter on the laws that affect your day-to-day life is your circuit court, the Supreme Court does not need to see every case that is appealed beyond the circuit court, leaving the final ruling at the circuit court. Mystal then breaks down Trump's worst of the worst confirmed judges. Starting with Don R. Willits, appointed to the 5th circuit, was once called the "most conservative" judge on the Texas Supreme Court by religious-right leader James Dobson of Focus on the Family. Willits has consistently ruled against LGBT protections in Texas and refused to recognize same-sex marriage licenses awarded in other states. Next up, Chad Readler. Readler was Jeff Sessions "right-hand man" in the DOJ's civil division where he defended Trump and Sessions' child-separation policies and ending DACA protections. And lastly, we have Amy Barrett, the handmaiden. Mystal says that conservatives have been saving Amy Barrett as their ace-in-the-hole for when Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies. Barrett will be the one who allows the GOP court to overturn 40+ years of precedent when they abolish Roe v. Wade and a whole host of other reproductive rights. Read the entire piece to get a better understanding of why the left needs to organize around the judicial system!

And in the Fun Half: Sam contemplates if he's having a stroke, Bernie isn't making friends at Washington Post 2020 Candidate forum, and won't be caught in a gotcha moment about bussing either, Dave Rubin gets Marianne Williamson on his program and it didn't go as planned, Marianne explains reparations and restitution for slavery, Rubin gets schooled, he pivots and takes her into the deep end on Iran, but Marianne sinks him instead, Elizabeth Warren asks why the acting Defense Secretary won't commit to ending relationships with his former employers at Raytheon, a Palantir co-founder calls Google and its employees "not a patriotic company," Emerald Garner delivers a powerful statement calling for Officer Pantaleo job to be terminated, how Bill Barr quashed the DOJ's investigation into Garner's death, plus no calls and no IMs!

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 7-17-19-Elie_Mystal-PUB.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:02pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

House votes to condemn Trump racist Tweets with just four Republicans backing the measure. (Splinter)

Planned Parenthood removes the first physician to lead the organization in nearly 50 years, after spending less than a year on the job. (PBS)

Over 3 million people have given money to Democrats online this yea, signaling another big year for small-dollar donations on the left. (Daily Beast)

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

Washington Post reports that Roger Stone has been barred by U.S. judge from posting on social media during his current trial. The judge says Stone violated the terms of his release, and may seek a contempt hearing after trial. (NPR)

A new study finds that automotive giant Volkswagen cheated on emissions standards and their cars have been emitting dangerous pollutants at levels up to 150 times that of a normal car. (VOX)

The Hill reports that the Trump administration is gutting the Department of Labor public lands agency, leaving less than 1% of staff working in the nation's capital. (HILL)

Washing Post is reporting that six high-ranking employees at Southwest Key, a nonprofit organization housing thousands of migrant children for the federal government, made at least $1 million for their work in 2017. (WaPo)

And Pacific-Standard reports that anti-ICE activists  shut down three of PNC bank’s Manhattan branches yesterday in response to the bank’s continued funding of immigrant detention facilities. (Pacific-Standard)

 

Direct download: 071719_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:23am EDT

On today's show the MR team brings you the news. Sam breaks down the Trump administration's next step in eroding federal research agencies: forcing USDA scientists to relocate to Kansas City. USDA staffers had until midnight on Monday to decide whether or not they would relocate with the department's research branches to the midwest, a brazen move designed to distance scientists and their findings from legislators and policy makers in DC. Joe Biden's healthcare policy rollout hit a roadblock last night when his press secretary Symone Sanders was asked about her change of heart from 2016 when she promoted Bernie's Medicare for All plan to now promoting Biden's less expansive Obamacare plus plan. Symone Sanders' non-answers and pablum explaining why Biden's plan was better than Medicare for All is exactly what happens to press secretaries when there is no substance or popular demand for a policy like Biden's Obamacare expansion--the healthcare horizon has expanded beyond eliminating tax subsidy caps. And in the White House, Trump doubles down on his racist statements and says that his nakedly racist comments about the Squad were fine because "many people agree" with them. Trump is in full 2020 mode and knows the election will be about bases. Trump is betting on racism as his best tool to turn out republican voters next November. Sam then examines the Squad's responses to Trump and how they do politics better than anyone else in the Democratic Party. Their ability to synthesize their talking points, policy projects all while keeping their opposition in their sights, including Democratic House Leadership. The Squad can walk and chew gum while they seize power for the left.

And in the Fun Half:  Sam shares news of his ongoing right wing trolling projects, the time Gavin McInnes offered Sam $5,000 to go on his show, Gavin also made this offer to David Pakman, but really wanted to sure up the deal...so he called in, coincidentally Sam gets a call from "Bob Fandela" to talk about Right Wing Mandela's new Free Ideas show, Puerto Ricans are protesting after Governor Ricardo Rosselló's group chats leaked where he called for the death of the San Juan mayor and homophobic remarks about Ricky Martin, why Bernie Sanders needs to do well in South Carolina, turning out voters is more productive than pandering to the elusive purple suburban professional managerial class, why Medicare 4 All is popular across class and identity, plus your calls and IMs!

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with introduction by Michael Brooks!

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

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Direct download: 7-16-19-Sam_Seder-PUB.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:18pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Trump steps up attacks on progressive congresswomen, says they 'hate our country' and Israel. (NBC)

WH projects $1 trillion deficit for 2019. (THE HILL)

Beto O'Rourke fundraising fell to $3.6 million in second quarter. (POLITICO)

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

The Intercept is reporting that the margin of victory between Tiffany Cabán and Melinda Katz to be Queens's next top prosecutor is now less than one half of a percentage point, which has prompted a mandatory recount of more than 90,000 votes. 

WMUR reports that Kamala Harris has risen into second place in the latest New Hampshire primary poll conducted by Saint Anselm College.

More than 100 Amazon employees in Minnesota went on strike during Amazon Prime Day. The warehouse workers were protesting the company’s labor conditions and environmental impact. (GRIST)

NBC News is reporting that Sadie Roberts-Joseph, the founder and curator of the Baton Rouge African American Museum, was discovered dead in the trunk of a car Friday afternoon. A cause of death is not yet known.

The Green New Deal has picked up endorsements from two major Christian groups, calling the policy framework “what is needed to preserve and restore God’s great gift of creation.” (HUFFPO)

Direct download: 071619_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:22am EDT

On today's show, David T. Courtwright, author of The Age of Addiction: How Bad Habits Became Big Business and presidential professor emeritus in the Department of History at the University of North Florida, joins us.

On today's show: Mike Pence observes men in cages at Southern border.

David T. Courtwright, author of The Age of Addiction: How Bad Habits Became Big Business and presidential professor emeritus in the Department of History at the University of North Florida, joins us. Most people think of drugs and alcohol as the primary things associated with addiction. But people can become addicted to many other things. In this book, Courtwright explores the idea of "limbic capitalism," by which corporations exploit the body's limbic system for profit by getting people addicted to everything from sugary soft drinks to social media.

On the fun half: Nancy Pelosi faces off against progressive "squad" of AOC, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley. AOC on visit to border detention: "I believe them...this is a manufactured crisis." Heather Heyer's killer sentenced to life in prison. Fox and Friends laughs at Trump's racist tweets: "very comedic." Lindsey Graham says AOC and the squad are a bunch of communists. Newt says Trump sees an opportunity to attack the squad because of the fight between progressives and Pelosi. Ilhan Omar explains why politics is about wielding power, not sharing it to maintain status quo. Biden promoting his healthcare plan that doesn't include Medicare For All. Obama endorses Medicare For All before 2018 midterms.

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with introduction by Michael Brooks!

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

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Direct download: 7-15-19-David_Courtwright-PUB.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:38pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Trump Tells Freshman Congresswomen to ‘Go Back’ to the Countries They Came From (NYT)

Trump trails Biden, Warren and Sanders in new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll (NBC)

Top 2020 Dems wouldn't reverse Trump's Jerusalem embassy decision (AXIOS)

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

Large-scale federal immigration raids of people illegally in the U.S. again failed to materialize Sunday after being touted in advance by President Trump, raising questions about the government’s plans. (WSJ)

Joe Biden unveiled a proposal Monday to expand the Affordable Care Act with an optional public health insurance program. (WaPo)

Trump is thinking about ditching Commerce chief Wilbur Ross after census his big question defeat. (NBC)

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday night that he granted a visa to Iran's foreign minister to visit New York primarily to meet U.S. obligations to the United Nations but that his movements will be sharply curtailed. (WaPo)

 

Direct download: 071519_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:38am EDT

Sam at Netroots! Day 2.

Sam is joined by Adele Stan from Right Wing Watch,

Briahna Joy Gray and Winnie Wong from the Bernie Sanders campaign,

Jeff Hauser of the Revolving Door Project, Alexandra Rojas of Justice Democrats,

Adam Green of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Ryan Grim of The Intercept,

and Matt Christman, Brendan James and Virgil Texas of Chapo Trap House.

Also: Bernie gets an approving pat from a postal worker, Trump says Acosta did a great job as labor secretary, Brooke Goldstein claims Ilhan Omar "would be a member of the KKK" if she weren't in Congress, Pelosi admonishes "squad" not to tweet their complaints, David Dayen updates us on the White House's attack on asylum seekers, Tommy Robinson supporting thugs attack journalists outside parliament, Trump says the kidney "has a special place in the heart."

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show, with special guest Chuck Mertz of This is Hell on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 7-12-19-Netroots_Day_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:21pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

President Trump stuns his conservative allies by announcing that he’s finally caving his plan to add a citizenship question to the Census (Mother Jones)

Conservative Democrat William Lacy Clay accused Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of using the race card in her dust-up with Nancy Pelosi (Splinter)

San Francisco Bay Area immigration rights group says ICE arrests that were scheduled to start this weekend have already begun (KRON)

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

The House Judiciary approves subpoenas for 12 key witnesses, including Jared Kushner (Politico)

New victims are coming forward as Jeffrey Epstein's asks to be released from jail to his $77 million Manhattan mansion (Miami Herald)

Betsy DeVos is being sued over her student loan forgiveness program that denies 99 percent of the applicants (Politico)

Direct download: 071219_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 8:57am EDT

Sam reports live from the Netroots Nation conference in Philadelphia.

On day one of Netroots, Sam speaks with Dean Obeidallah, host of SiriusXM's 'The Dean Obeidallah Show;" David Dayen, executive editor of 'The American Prospect;' David Weigel of The Washington Post; Sean McElwee and Julian Brave NoiseCat of Data For Progress; Jared Holt of Right Wing Watch; and Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA.

Also on today's show: Bernie tells Rachel Maddow that as president, he'd scare Mitch McConnell by going to KY and having a rally. Bernie says inequality is intentional, emphasizes need to take on the power structure. Gorka gets owned by prank caller. AOC asks Powell why the Fed keeps getting the rate of unemployment wrong, attacks the Phillips curve as discredited economic model. Ben Shapiro says Megan Rapinoe benefits from being an outspoken lesbian.

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 7-11-19-Netroots_Day_1-PUB.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:40pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

'Do not tweet': Pelosi scolds progressives in closed-door meeting (POLITICO)

AOC says Pelosi is "singling out" women of color in Congress (Axios)

ICE just opens three new detention centers, after Congress told it not to (Mother Jones)

Trump’s July 4 event and weekend protests bankrupted D.C. security fund, mayor says (WAPO)

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

U.S. Prepares to Arrest Thousands of Immigrant Family Members (NYT)

State Department Analyst Resigns After White House Blocked Climate Change Testimony (WSJ)

Fed chief: Facebook crypto project poses 'serious concerns' for economy, consumers (The Hill)

House oversight panel asks Acosta to testify on Epstein plea (UPI)

Trump invites right-wing extremists to White House ‘social media summit’ (CNN)

Direct download: 071119_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 8:52am EDT

Happy Wednesday, joining Michael Brooks on today’s Majority Report is Loren Rodgers, Executive Director of the National Center for Employee Ownership to discuss a recent article featured in the New Republic. In America there are now over 7,000 employee owned businesses who revenue totals close to half a billion dollars. The history of employee ownership is one was designed and adapted to deal with the growing wealth inequality, namely investment banker Louis Kelso who was instrumental in designing Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs). Rodgers goes on to explain ESOPs have a history on both the right and left with both environmental conscious brands and christian brands both establishing ESOPs as a way to maintain their company values. Brooks and Rodgers go on to explore the current employee-owned related legislation and policy being promoted by legislators in Washington and on the 2020 campaign trail; particularly, Bernie and his state-run employee ownership centers and the US Employee Ownership Bank. Rodgers also says Kristin Gillibrand has taken up the lion's share of the employee ownership movement with her 2018 Main Street Employee Ownership Act.

On the fun half: Will the DA election in Queens be stolen from Caban? How not to challenge McConnell. Should tinkering with credit score formulation really be a priority now? Interracial marriage by jews is a new holocaust, says rabbi. Tucker does more bigotry against Ilhan Omar. A MR-listening moderate Nebraska farmer may run as a pro-M4A republican.

Plus your calls and IMs!

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 7-9-19-Loren_Rogers-PUB.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:44pm EDT

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

TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Federal judge rejects Trump administration’s bid to swap out lawyers for Census case on citizenship question (WAPO)

Migrant kids in Yuma report sex assault, retaliation from U.S. agents (NBC NEWS)

France to slap new 'ecotax' on plane tickets from 2020 (AP)

And our QUICKER QUICKIES HEADLINES:

The government no longer wants Michael Flynn to testify against ex-partner (WAPO)

New North Carolina law allows prosecutors to charge drug dealers with murder (The Hill)

Top Senate Republican Wants to Rein In Tech’s Liability Shield (Bloomberg)

Two Republicans sue Ocasio-Cortez over Twitter blocks (The Hill)

 

Direct download: 071019_AM_QUICKIE.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:43am EDT

On today's show, Sarah Reckhow (@SReckhow), co-author, Outside Money in School Board Elections: The Nationalization of Education Politics.

Reckhow and her co-authors looked at 5 cities where outside money was flooding into local school board elections including Indianapolis, Denver, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Bridgeport, CT. After pouring over close to a decade's worth of campaign contributions, Reckhow and her colleagues found that there was a huge surge of money coming from the beginning of Obama first term in 2008 to 2012 which found far greater sums of outside money being spent in school board elections. The research identified 132 donors who provided more than half the funding for candidates running on school reform (pro-charter) in the sampled cities. Reckhow points out, also, how reform candidates who raised this outside money also raised more money locally. The reform candidates we're 2.5x more likely to be elected while union-backed candidates won half of its races, a huge gain for school reform efforts. This led to a greater expansion of charter schools in the cities studied. These cities were studied by Reckhow and her colleagues because they're municipalities where the school board has the most authority in enacting education reform, like allocating funds to charter school funding. Reckhow concludes the interview pointing out that school board elections remain an important part of our local democracies where popular engagement can effectively combat outside money and interest.

And in the Fun Half: Dan Bongino does not seem to have the composure to a talking head--let alone a law enforcement officer, how to get blue collar voters on board with democratic candidates, Jesse Watters says women athletes would probably be paid more if they were more patriotic, Elizabeth Warren says she'll end the Israeli occupation of Palestine, the value of Bernie defining himself as a Democratic Socialist, "electability" and Biden, Andrew Yang v. Meghan McCain, Tom Steyer sends $100M into a blackhole, plus your calls and IMs!

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 7-8-19-Sarah_Reckhow-PUB.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:21pm EDT

We're back from the July 4th holiday and got a piping-hot plate of news for you, our loyal listener. The big story coming into Monday is the bombshell indictment of Jeffrey Epstein on new charges of human trafficking. The charges first reported by the Daily Beast "allege that Epstein sexually exploited dozens of underage girls...molesting or sexually abusing them in his Upper East Side mansion or his palatial residence in Palm Beach." In an era where #MeToo has taken down powerful men across several professions, Epstein had, until this point, avoided any consequences for his heinous actions. According to Sam, this is a story of power and influence of one American billionaire. Hopefully this trial shows how Epstein was able to plead out so easily more than a decade ago and continue his behavior until 2019.

Meanwhile, the crisis at the border continues to spiral out of control. UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said this morning that she was "appalled" at the conditions. Immigrants rights lawyers who traveled to the Clint, Texas facilities said they have never seen or smelled such degrading and inhumane conditions in their careers. Of course, Donald Trump doesn't see it that way, he blames Democrats for the conditions at the border, saying the party's laxed position on amnesty is the sole reason for the facilities' conditions. Finally, it was revealed this weekend that DHS knew about the racist, misogynistic private Facebook group since at least 2016. But don't worry acting DHS secretary Kevin McAleenan says "any employee found to have compromised the public’s trust in our law enforcement mission will be held accountable."

The crew also breaks down Trump's stunning history lesson from July 4th. Who knew the colonials  won independence because of an effective air defense system? Sam wraps the free half of the show asking does Nancy Pelosi's have a plan beyond punching left and scapegoating her most popular caucus members?

And in the Fun Half: why Trump continues to limit asylum measures, the failures of ICE, John from San Antonio is frustrated with the lack of policy understanding from Bernie Sanders' supporters, John Delaney hides the ball on his "Better Care" plan which will not lower healthcare costs, a MAGA free speech guy says he's the first person ever banned from Tinder, Proud Boys and the cops are getting along nicely, Biden's plan for the court is no plan at all, and why Obama's vetting of Biden is all that matters in 2020, why Sam continues to dispel misinformation about Dave Rubin, what potential voters cast ballots for libertarian candidate Justin Amash, plus your calls and IMs!

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Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks Chicago Live Show on August 24th here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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@jamie_elizabeth

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Direct download: 7-8-19-Sam_Seder-PUB.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:43pm EDT

Alex Pareene (@Pareene) stops by to discuss Trump's extra Freedom Fourth of July, impeachment, the democrats, and more!

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Get your tickets to the TMBS Chicago Live Show here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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7/5 Casual Friday: Mid-Year Report! ft. Alex Pareene

Direct download: 7-5-19-Alex_Pareene.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

On today's show, The New Republic's, Matt Ford (@fordm), joins us to review the Supreme Court's latest term. Broadly speaking the term was mixed bag, with some small victories for the court's liberals, but mostly the court maintained its steady slide towards conservatism. While Republican presidents have appointed more justices over the past 50 years, those appointments have never been as conservative as Trump's appointments, Gorsuch and Kavanaugh. Ford believes that this Roberts court will become more conservative in the years to come. Ford and Sam review the Court's ruling on Kisor v. Wilkie, where the court decided not to overturn "Auer deference" where "courts defer to federal agencies’ reasonable reading of ambiguous regulations." While this sounds like a victory at face value a liberal court would not take it up in the first place. Ford explains in Elena Kagan's 5-4 majority opinion "added a five-part test that will give judges more room to scrutinize those regulations." And Roberts added to the majority opinion that the ruling would not impact the Chevron deference which conservative legal scholars have been railing against for decades. Sam and Ford then discuss the gerrymandering case (Rucho v. Common Cause) and census citizenship question case (Department of Commerce v. New York) and what those rulings will mean for the future of our democracy. Ford does not see a silver lining in the case of Rucho v. Common Cause beyond state supreme courts stopping gerrymandering. The GOP has been very explicit in its attempts to gerrymander its way to power in states like Wisconsin and the Supreme Court has now ruled that it cannot enforce gerrymandering guidelines. Granted, the Supreme Court did not entirely implode this term since it did not rule in favor of the Trump administration and the Commerce department on the citizenship question, and are now dropping the campaign to add the citizenship question to the 2020 census. Ford and Sam conclude with a look towards the court's next term including positive developments in criminal justice reform.

And in the Fun Half: the MSM is a little too excited to say Bernie is done, Third Way thinks anyone can beat Trump... except Sanders, Bernie's huge rally in Iowa City, assessing our biases, the NYT Sydney Ember problem, empathy and logic on the left, Dan Crenshaw picked a bad time to say the border situation is not true, Glenn Beck thinks migrants would prefer to sleep on the desert floor than the squalor DHS facilities, Lou Dobbs is hyped about the Trump July 4th militaripalooza, Meghan McCain feels like a "caged animal," how would progressives work with Biden, plus your calls and IMs!

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Get your tickets to the TMBS Chicago Live Show here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 7-3-19-Matt_Ford-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:36pm EDT

On today's show, Jennifer L. Eberhardt, author of, Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, And Do. Dr. Eberhardt's take a look at the difference between what we understand in our culture as racism and the implicit biases we pick up within our society.  Through extensive studies including both clinical and social studies, Dr. Eberhardt addresses how racial bias is not restricted to a few bad actors but is present at all levels of society in media, education, and business. Sam and Eberhardt also discuss the plasticity of the brain and how exposure to diversity can help dispel bias and our seemingly innate prejudices. Eberhardt explains how her studies can be applied to larger systemic problems of bias, specifically in policing and corporate culture. By showing this implicit bias through clinical testing it's easier to show how prejudice and stereotypes can be systemic, beyond personal animus, and something that be unlearned. Moving forward, is it possible to isolate these influences of bias in the first place? Eberhardt believes exposure and contact to information and a diverse population is key to unlearning bias. Sam and Eberhardt conclude their conversation with an open-ended question: if we're all biased in some way, at what point does it turn to racism? Whether or not implicit bias turns to explicit racism, it can be as harmful in a slow eroding kind of way, as it exists alongside social norms.

And in the Fun Half: Bernie slides to 4th in the latest CNN poll, a breakdown of the ProPublica CPB Secret Facebook group, one bad apple does spoil the whole bunch, harrowing images and video from inside the Clint, TX Customs & Border Patrol facilities, the argument for decommodifying housing, Donald Trump has started and defeated homelessness in America, Trump reaffirms that the Census citizenship question is about denying rights to immigrants, Greg Gutfeld admits Fox would be sounding alarm bells if Obama met with Kim Jong Un, Bernie's messaging on engagement, a Jimmy Dore story, plus your calls and IMs!

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Get your tickets to the TMBS Chicago Live Show here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 7-2-19-Jennifer_Eberhardt-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:23pm EDT

Anthony McCann, journalist and author of 'Shadowlands: Fear and Freedom at the Oregon Standoff,' joins us.

On today's show: Joe Biden says kids in hoodies might become poet laureates and not just gangbangers. Biden re-uses gay waiter anecdote from 15 years ago.

Journalist and author Anthony McCann joins us to discuss his new book, 'Shadowlands: Fear and Freedom at the Oregon Standoff.' In 2016, an armed group of protesters led by Ammon Bundy occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon. In this book, McCann identifies numerous political currents highlighted by the incident, including: The influence of Mormonism on Bundy and the dangers of operating on pure ideology. The protesters' belief that property rights began when the US was colonized. The history of "state's rights" rhetoric and Bundy's many precedents. The surprising influence of Occupy Wall Street. The role played by the internet and privatization.

On the fun half: Biden's "electability" ratings drop following debates. Kamala Harris tries to clarify m4a stance, still unclear exactly what she wants. A caller from Oregon explains how environmental regulations and welfare reform have hurt rural people in her area. Trump gives his Monday morning QB take on Kamala and Biden, says he'll introduce busing legislation. Trump asked to clarify busing legislation, clearly has no idea what it is. Ivanka Trump hangs with the grownups at G20, tries to butt into their convo. Trump says businesses are calling America "the hot show." Trump says he's talking to world leaders about new student visas: "Smart person's waivers." Tucker says it's a reality that nation leaders do need to kill people. Bernie says he's got "no problem" with Trump meeting with Kim Jong Un, but it needs to be more than a photo op. "Jews against ICE" protests at Elizabeth NJ ICE facility. Political cartoonist fired for border cartoon of Trump golfing around dead migrants.

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Get your tickets to the TMBS Chicago Live Show here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@majorityfm

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@BF1nn

Direct download: 7-1-19-Anthony_McCann-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:45pm EDT

Digby (Heather Parton) (@digby56) and Matt Binder (@MattBinder ) join us.

On today's show: AOC explains that there's no oversight of spending on Senate bill funding ICE.

Digby (Heather Parton) (@digby56) joins us to break down the latest news from Washington, including: the latest Supreme Court decisions, the Democratic debates, the new center of gravity in the Democratic Party, and how the race will change now that Biden has self-immolated in public. Also: the role of never-Trumpers and who stood out. 

Matt Binder (@MattBinder ), former MR producer/contributor and host of DOOMED w/ Matt Binder, joins us. An update on alt-right online communities. How much has the "movement" been hurt by the de-platforming of prominent leaders like Alex Jones, Milo, Cernovich et. al? The decline of Breitbart. How the YouTube algorithm turns disaffected young men into Pepes and/or the Yang Gang. Ben Shapiro says conservatives can be funny, he has written spec comedy scripts. Yang claims his mic was cut during Dem debate. Kamala Harris goes after Biden about bussing, Biden defends states' rights. Brian Kilmeade almost gets it: the GOP is racist.

Join MR Today! www.jointhemajorityreport.com

Today’s show is sponsored by Skillshare: Go to https://skl.sh/majorityreport4 is going to get TWO whole months of totally free access to Skillshare’s entire library of super-quality online courses and tutorials.

Get your tickets to the TMBS Chicago Live Show here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@majorityfm

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@BF1nn

Direct download: 6-28-19-Digby_Matt_Binder-Freebie.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:25pm EDT

Good evening, welcome to the second 2020 Democratic debate watch show with the MR crew! We're live at 8:50 and will be covering the stage of former VP Joe Biden, VT Senator Bernie Sanders, CA Senator Kamala Harris, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, NY Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, former CO Governor John Hickenlooper, Senator Michael Bennett, Rep. Eric Swalwell, orb mistress Marianne Williamson, and Andrew "Daddy Yangbucks" Yang. We break down the candidates' performances and look at who made a splash, who held it together, and who went down in flames.

Bernie comes out strong with "healthcare is a right." Kamala Harris owns Biden on race and integration. Bernie connects abortion rights and m4a. Buttigieg addresses the shooting in South Bend. Biden fumbles and gets owned. Hickenlooper warns of the dangers of socialism, repeatedly. Marianne preaches a revolution of love.

Get your tickets to the TMBS Chicago Live Show here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@majorityfm

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@BF1nn

Direct download: 6-27-19-DEBATE_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:47pm EDT

Good evening, welcome to the first 2020 Democratic debate watch show with the MR crew! We're live at 8:50 and will be covering the stage of New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio, Former Obama HUD Secretary Julian Castro of Texas, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington state, Former Rep. John Delaney of Maryland. We break down the candidate performances and look forward tomorrow's debate in Miami.

Corey Booker has pivoted to the left and looks to be positioning himself to be a Sanders or Warren VP. Will Corey Bookers' move to the left lead to a larger left exodus in the Democratic primary? Texas Beto and National Beto are in conflict and it is not work for him. John Delaney and Amy Klobuchar are the Bash Brothers of meaningless centrism. Elizabeth Warren did not dominate as much we expected, and everyone is falling behind the Sanders movement.

Join the Majority Report Today!

Get your tickets to the TMBS Chicago Live Show here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@majorityfm

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@BF1nn

Direct download: 6-26-19-DEBATE_1-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

Joining Michael Brooks on today's Majority Report is Murtaza Hussain to talk about the right wing's secretive efforts to start a war with Iran and the writings of the fake journalist Heshmat Alavi.

On today's show: DSA-endorsed public defender Tiffany Cabán (most likely) wins Queens DA race.

Murtaza Hussain (@MazMHussain), journalist at The Intercept, joins us to talk about the right wing's secretive efforts to start a war with Iran and the writings of the fake journalist Heshmat Alavi. The return of "America first" paleoconservative who advocates turning the US from an empire to a white ethno-state. How pro regime change forces faked an Iranian journalist named Heshmat Alavi. (Read Hussain's report at The Intercept.) Jared Kushner lays out plans for the future of Palestine. The Trump admin's clueless efforts to buy the Palestinians out of the hope of statehood.

On the fun half: Japanese Americans protest children being moved to camps in Oklahoma. Meghan McCain makes child concentration camps at border about her and her family. Dana Loesch's Meghan McCain impression and Meghan's brunch tweet. Dave Rubin thinks government needs to intervene in the marketplace of ideas, specifically YouTube. USA women's soccer star Megan Rapinoe on going to WH: "I'm not going to the fucking White House." Gorka says the wall has to come before providing hygenic products to detainees. Trump says border conditions were worse under Obama. Dennis Prager says Google is censoring any conservative voices.

Join the Majority Report Today! www.jointhemajorityreport.com

Today's show is sponsored by Skillshare: Go to https://skl.sh/majorityreport4 is going to get TWO whole months of totally free access to Skillshare’s entire library of super-quality online courses and tutorials.

Get your tickets to the TMBS Chicago Live Show here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@majorityfm

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@BF1nn

Direct download: 6-26-19-Murtaza_Hussain-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:47pm EDT

Matt Stroud (@MattStroud), author of "Thin Blue Lie: The Failure of High-Tech Policing," joins us.

On today's show: Trump misnames Iran's Supreme Leader. Trump says he does not need Congress to strike Iran.

Author Matt Stroud (@MattStroud) joins us to discuss his new book "Thin Blue Lie: The Failure of High-Tech Policing." While technologies like the taser were supposed to transform law enforcement for the better, in reality they've only made it "lazier, more reckless, and more discriminatory." In this book, Stroud looks at how corporate marketing tactics sold these items to police departments, and how they contributed to the mission creep and civil liberties violations on display in the modern police state.

Why Andrew Yang's UBI proposal poses a danger to the welfare state.

On the fun half: Project Veritas exposes YouTube and MR's conspiracy to censor right-wing ideas. John Bolton says his previous writing on regime change in Iran aren't part of his current advisory role, but he still believes them. Brian Kilmeade says CBP isn't running the Marriot or Hyatt. Lou Dobbs says there was widespread voter fraud in 2016 by "a large number of aliens." Bill O'Reilly says reparations can't happen because it will codify the idea that the US was founded by racist white men. Ilhan Omar does Sharia at Twin Cities pride parade. Beto's war tax idea. Obama campaign manager appears before health savings account investors, says m4a will not happen. Ben Stein says black people love to play the victim.

Join MR Today! www.jointhemajorityreport.com

Today's show is sponsored by Skillshare: Go to https://skl.sh/majorityreport4 is going to get TWO whole months of totally free access to Skillshare’s entire library of super-quality online courses and tutorials.

Get your tickets to the TMBS Chicago Live Show here!

Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips. And check out Year Of Lead, a new book on Brazil with introduction by Michael Brooks!

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 via your favorite podcast app.

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@majorityfm

@SamSeder

@_michaelbrooks

@MattLech

@jamie_elizabeth

@BF1nn

Direct download: 6-25-19-Matt-Stroud-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:29pm EDT