It's been a big week in American politics: Monday: the long awaited Iowa Democratic caucuses failed to give results; Tuesday: Trump gave his State of the Union address; Wednesday: the Senate Republican majority voted NOT to convict Trump of high crimes and misdemeanors or to remove him from office; and today Trump gave a 63-minute victory speech -- Harold Meyerson comments.
Next up: February is Black History month -- we talk with Taylor Branch about Martin Luther King Jr. from 1965 and the Selma campaign to 1968 and the Memphis sanitation strike.

Life After Iowa: Harold Meyerson, plus Taylor Branch on MLK from Selma to Memphis

Talking about politics, thinking about the Left.  Hosted by Jon Wiener, co-author of "Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties," contributing editor at The Nation, and broadcast live at KPFK 90.7FM in LA Thursdays at 4.

History

Society & Culture

News

Politics

News Commentary

The Arizona Supreme Court's action affirming a near-total ban on abortion is great news for Democrats, and not just in that state: Harold Meyerson comments. Also: Why did Hamas decide to provoke massive Israeli retaliation now? Hussein Ibish, who writes for The Atlantic, The New York Times, and The Daily Beast,  says Hamas had a clear political goal on October 7: to defeat the  Palestinian secular nationalists of Fatah and gain control of the PLO. Plus: 61 years ago this week, in April, 1963,  the Birmingham civil rights campaign directed by Martin Luther King was reaching a climax. April 7, Palm Sunday, police used dogs to attack Black people at a march.  the dramatic photos appeared on front pages around the world.  Then, 4 Black girls were killed at a church bombing, and then Congress passed the 1964 Civil Rights Act.  Diane McWhorter wrote the definitive history of that crucial campaign--her book is called “Carry Me Home: Birmingham, Alabama, the climatic battle of the civil rights revolution." (broadcast originally in 2001.)

Abortion Politics after Arizona: Harold Meyerson; Hamas and the PLO: Hussein Ibish; Birmingham 1963: Diane McWhorter

Cities throughout America are Democratic, often raising minimum wages and strengthening rent control. However, in states where Republicans hold unchecked power, state governments are blocking cities from acting. Harold Meyerson reports on preemption and “pre-preemption.” Plus: Standing Together, Israel’s biggest Jewish-Palestinian grassroots movement, is organizing against the war and for a Palestinian state.  Sally Abed, one of the group’s founders, will explain their vision, their strategy, and their recent actions. Also: from the archives, Gary Shteyngart talks about his novel "Super Sad True Love Story" --It’s about a world where the Bipartisan Party rules and where everybody gets their news either from Fox Liberty Prime or Fox Liberty Ultra.  And then our hero Lenny meets Eunice.  (recorded in July, 2011.)

Blue Cities in Red States: Harold Meyerson; Standing Together: Sally Abed; "Super Sad": Gary Shteyngart

Minimum wage initiatives on the ballot in battleground states could mobilize potential Democratic voters who are unenthusiastic about Biden. Saru Jayaraman of One Fair Wage is on the podcast to explain the strategy, and reports on organizing in Arizona, Michigan, and Ohio. Also: 100 American cities and towns have formally called for a cease-fire in Gaza—ranging from Chicago, the biggest, to small towns in Vermont. John Nichols has our report. Plus: The ideological roots of the January 6 insurrection go back decades before Trump entered politics — back to the bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995. Jeffrey Toobin will explain; His new book is ‘Homegrown: Timothy McVeigh and the Rise of Right-Wing Extremism.’  It’s being published in paperback next week.

"Vote Yourself a Raise": Saru Jaramayan; Cities against the war: John Nichols; Roots of Jan. 6: Jeffrey Toobin

In the Ohio primary this week, Sherrod Brown got the opponent he wanted - a MAGA car salesman who's never won anything.  Harold Meyerson comments. Plus: In the campaign to end American funding for Israel’s war in Gaza, a key front is the fight against AIPAC. This week, more than a hundred prominent American Jews have joined in a statement opposing AIPAC and its efforts to defeat Democratic candidates who have criticized Israeli government policy toward Palestinians. The signers include author Ariel Dorfman, actors Elliott Gould and Wallace Shawn, and Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry’s.  Alan Minsky, executive director of Progressive Democrats of America, will explain. Also David Cole, national legal director of the ACLU, will make the case for freedom of speech on campus and against cancel culture, starting from that confrontation between Elise Stefanik and the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and Penn.

Why Dems are Smiling: Harold Meyerson; Jews v. AIPAC: Alan Minsky; Free Speech on Campus: David Cole

Thanks to a referendum passed by Long Beach voters, hotel workers there will now get the highest minimum wage in the nation – Harold Meyerson comments. Next: After gangs took over most of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s acting prime minister, Ariel Henry, agreed to step aside. Long-time Haiti observer Amy Wilentz analyzes the forces at work shaping the country’s next steps. Also: The polls and the pollsters are missing the political potential in 9 million people who have turned 18 since the last election. Steve Phillips explains – his book, ‘How We Win the Civil War,’ is out now in a new edition, updated for the 2024 election. Plus: From the archives: Katha Pollitt learned to drive at age 51 – she wrote about that experience for The New Yorker; and in 2015, she was played by Patricia Clarkson opposite Ben Kingsley in the film version, Learning to Drive. This interview was first recorded in 2007.  

Life After Iowa: Harold Meyerson, plus Taylor Branch on MLK from Selma to Memphis

Download our free app to listen on your phone