Grant is joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, co-founder and co-editor of The American Prospect, Princeton professor Paul Starr. 

Paul is the author of the new book American Contradiction: Revolution and Revenge from the 1950s to now (link below). He talks about how we got to this moment of retribution and revenge, how it's different from how political scores used to be settled, and why Americans have stricter rules for Democrats than Republicans when it comes to who gets to get revenge and why that matters. 

LINKS: 

Paul Starr event links

American Contradiction

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The government shutdown is a month long now, just five days behind the longest ever. But it's not the record deadline that's the big one; it's the one happening this weekend. 

On Nov. 1, food stamp benefits and health insurance subsidies expire for tens of millions of Americans who rely on those programs to avoid starvation or get vital care. 

Grant explains whether a judge in Massachusetts can stop kids from going hungry, why this shutdown is already the worst we've ever had, and if senators holding their own "shadow negotiations" while Trump's out of the country can bring this shutdown to an end. 

LINKS:

Find your local food bank at the link below 

https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank

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Donald Trump says again he's not ruling out a third term, even though there's no legal way for him to become president again after 2028. But that's not stopping MAGA from talking about and some Republican Senators not ruling it out either. 

But the new focus on a third term comes as Trump reveals new things about his health, namely, he underwent an MRI and more cognitive tests at a mystery second visit to Walter Reed Hospital earlier this year. 

Grant breaks down what the Constitution says about presidents who want to be president three times, Trump's cognitive test mix-up while insulting Democrats as "low-IQ," and why his health and third-term talk are actually linked to Trump's fears over his legacy. 

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This month, the US Supreme Court looks poised to cut out the heart of the Voting Rights Act, which has been making sure Americans of all kinds can take part in free and fair elections with a chance to have their voices represented at all levels of government. 

Grant talks to Dave Daley, an elections expert, about what this recent case in front of SCOTUS is, how the VRA actually works, and what it means for Americans of color and all Americans to lose the soul of the VRA. 

LINKS:

Dave Daley at FairVote.org

Antidemocratic: Inside the Far Right's 50-Year Plot to Control American Elections

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The president decided to demolish the East Wing of the White House this week without warning or approval to make way for his new ballroom. The images of heavy machinery tearing into the First Lady's office have sent shockwaves through our collective ideas of American imagery. 

Grant talks about how Trump went back on his word about not touching the White House, what we're losing by losing the East Wing, how this is unlike anything presidents have done in modern US history, and what it means to have this looming ballroom funded by donors and not the people. 

Plus, an update on the government shutdown that's now the second longest in US history, as tens of millions of people are at risk of losing life-saving benefits. 

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The second round of the No Kings protests swept the country over the weekend with an estimated 5-7 million people participating in more than 2600 rallies and marches. But what did they actually do?

Grant breaks down what the largest US protests in 50 years actually means, how  the White House is doubling down on calling Trump a king as he continues to threaten American cities with the Insurrection Act. 

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With the government still shut down and the Speaker of the House indicating they're willing to wait it out for the long haul, the Nov. 1 expiration date on affordable healthcare through tax credits for millions is coming quickly. 

Grant is joined by University of Michigan Assistant Professor Michael Shepherd, who studies rural health care and how it meets politics and race. They explore what it means for rural hospitals that are already strapped for cash and facing closures, what happens to rural communities that depend on medical jobs for their economies, and, most importantly, if these tax credits end, will more Americans die?

LINKS: 

Michael Shepherd at UMich

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Grant breaks down the complicated case being heard by the US Supreme Court that could fundamentally change how we run our elections, especially in the South. 

The court could potentially make it legal to draw districts based on race, which could bring back Jim Crow-era elections and put people of color out of power for decades. 

Ending this part of the landmark Voting Rights Act has been the goal of Chief Justice John Roberts, and he might get what he's always wanted. 

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Members of Congress are still deadlocked over how to reopen the government as the shutdown hits the two-week mark. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson says we're "barreling" toward the longest shutdown in history, but has his own motives for not coming to the table including carrying out Project 2025 and helping Trump keep the Epstein files hidden. 

As that's happening, Democrats continue to push for restoring Medicaid and Obamacare tax credits, but American frustration with Congress may be coming to a head very soon. 

PLUS, Grant gives an update on the amazing news that a ceasefire and hostage release deal was brokered in the Israel-Gaza war, the question now is how long will it last?

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It seems like American politics right now is filled with conspiracies. Deep state plots to undermine Trump. Vaccines cause autism. Joe Biden's Autopen or The Epstein Files. 

But University of Miami political science professor Joe Uscinski tells Grant, it's not the conspiracies that are the problem, or even how many people believe them, but that so many people in power right now believe them. 

It's a conversation that just might change the way you think about conspiracy theories, the people who believe them, and why you believe the ones you do too. 

LINKS: 

Professor Joe Uscinski

Conspiracy Theories: A Primer

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