Living in the USA

The Green New Deal in California: bad news is that the governor seems to be pessimistic about high-speed rail; meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the mayor had good news about stopping natural gas plants - David Dayen reports. Next up, February is Black History Month in America - we revisit an interview with Pulitzer-prize winning author, Isabel Wilkerson, where she talks about her book 'The Warmth of Other Suns' and the great migration of Black people out of the South.

The State of the Union is not good -- Harold Meyerson of The American Prospect on the president's speech Tuesday night -- and whether "socialism" is as big a negative for Americans as Trump thinks it is. Also: as of October, 2018, California had filed 44 lawsuits against Trump, and more are expected for 2019. We talk with Manuel Pastor about climate, immigration and the future of California v. Trump. Plus Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer-prize winning author of The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, on Trump, climate and endangered species.

As trade talks with China continue, the DOJ has charged telecom giant Huawei with Iran sanctions violations, bank fraud and more; meanwhle, a million Uyghur Muslims are being interned at Chinese 're-education camps'. We talk with Jeff Wasserstrom, a UCI historian of modern China, about Trump, trade, and human rights in China. Also: Politics after the shutdown -- Harold Meyerson reports, tracing the history of the air traffic controllers from Reagan breaking their union to last week's decisive sick-out at Laguardia airport. Plus: TPS (Temporary Protected Status), the travel ban and Trump -- Sasha Abramsky reports on the human toll of initiatives that are simply cruel.

We take a step back from all the Trump headlines to look at how we got here. Later in the show, historian Nancy MacLean talks about the roots of the right’s stealth plan for America, bringing together the Koch Brothers and their libertarian economic policy advocacy with segregationist opposition to civil rights. Nancy is an award-winning historian and the William H. Chafe Professor of history and public policy at Duke University. Her book “Democracy in Chains” was named the “most valuable political book of the year” on The Nation’s progressive honor roll. But first, Fred Trump and the KKK of the 1920s. The group had millions of members outside the South. It targeted Catholics and Jews as well as blacks, and had impressive success at electing governors and congressmen. It passed anti-immigrant restrictions that remained in effect until 1965. And Fred Trump, the president’s father, was arrested as a young man at a Klan march in New York City. Historian Linda Gordon explains—her new book is ‘The Second Coming of the KKK: The Ku Klux Klan and the American Political Tradition’.

Today is day four of the LA teachers' strike. "This bitter conflict is also a fight about the meaning of progressive politics”--that's what Nelson Lichtenstein says -- he's professor of history and director of The Center for the Study of Work, Labor and Democracy at UC Santa Barbara. Also: despite the fact that 58% of Americans oppose the wall, we are on day 27 of Trump's government shutdown over funds to build one. What are the politics of the Republicans in this situation? We turn to John Nichols for comment. Plus: Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen says "call me a refugee, not an immigrant" -- his new book is "The Displaced."

Russiagate is basically a political corruption scandal, says David Klion. The basic facts have been obvious for a long time—and they should bring down Trump’s presidency. Also: we ask Jane Mayer of the New Yorker what may be the most important question of the year: Would Pence be worse? Plus: Why are Danes so much happier than Americans? Is it just because Donald Trump is NOT their president? Joshua Holland says there’s more to it than that. And we also have a history segment today: Sean Wilentz talks about the place of slavery in the origins of the United States--his new book is "No Property in Man."

The 116th Congress convened today -- the Democrats took over the House, there were many firsts and a few surprises: Harold Meyerson has the report. Next, Amos Oz, Israeli author and peace advocate passed away last week; former Jerusalem correspondent for The New Yorker, and contributing editor at The Nation, Amy Wilentz remembers Oz and his work. Plus: What's it like to work at Amazon? Alex Press reports.

2018 was a big year for progressives -- John Nichols with the Progressive Honor Roll names some names on our year in review show. Next, we talk with Gustavo Arellano about the biggest change in California politics in decades: how the OC turned blue. Finally, David Cay Johnston reports on Trump family financial fraud, saying, "Nixon's crimes are pebbles compared to the mountain of tax cheating by the Trumps."

Prescription drug prices are on the rise and two Senators are taking on the problem. Bernie Sanders has introduced a bill advancing generics; and last Tuesday, Elizabeth Warren introduced her own bill, promoting drug manufacture by the government. David Dayen explains--and also talks about Steve Mnuchin, the subject of his new book, "Fat Cat." Next, from Obama to Trump — what happened? Tom Frank explains. Lastly, the Bob Dylan Xmas album: Sean Wilentz, Princeton professor and official historian in residence at BobDylan.com, answers the question, "What the heck is this?"

George H. W. Bush paved the way for today’s Republican party with his racist Willy Horton campaign. He also nominated Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, and pardoned the Iran-Contra conspirator whose trial would have exposed his own abuse of power. Harold Meyerson explains -- he’s executive editor of the American Prospect. Plus: Frederick Douglass, the black abolitionist, was the most famous black American of the 19th century. Historian Eric Foner says Douglass’s political ideas can help us in our struggles today.