Juneteenth reminds us of a simple truth: freedom delayed is freedom denied. More than 160 years after enslaved Americans in Texas finally learned they were free, the struggle for equal citizenship and political power continues. As attacks on voting rights, civil rights protections, diversity initiatives, and democratic institutions intensify, many Americans are asking whether the nation is living up to the promise that Juneteenth represents. While our president has failed to acknowledge the weight of today at all and his Administration relentlessly attacks our diversity and black history. Fred is joined by Kristen Clarke, General Counsel of the NAACP and former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice. Clarke spent four years leading the nation's top civil rights enforcement agency before taking the helm of the NAACP's legal strategy during one of the most consequential moments for American democracy in generations. Together they discuss the meaning of Juneteenth in 2026, the rollback of federal civil rights enforcement, the ongoing battle over voting rights and representation, and what citizens can do to protect democracy at a moment when many feel powerless. If you've been wondering what the next chapter of the civil rights movement looks like, this conversation is for you.

Learn more and get involved at NAACP.org

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We are deep into the primary season and Democrats are showing up in record setting numbers across the country. A whole new crop of newcomers are running for seats in the House and Senate with many truly being outsiders like never before. Graham Platner has confounded the traditional political punditry and party structure along with many more who defy the supposed rules of the game. Fred sits down with Corbin Trent the leader of A Fight Worth Having to discuss Platner’s rise, the issues American’s want solved and the path ahead this election cycle. Trent is a former Director of Communications for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a co-founder of Justice Democrats, and a two-time presidential campaign staffer for Bernie Sanders. He helped recruit and elect a generation of progressive challengers, build the Green New Deal, and push Medicare for All into the political mainstream. Today he writes America's Undoing and runs A Fight Worth Having — a Super PAC making the case that the Democratic Party's establishment has run out of ideas, courage, and capacity to meet the moment, and that the work of rebuilding it starts with telling the truth in public.

Learn more about A Fight Worth Having at https://afightworthhaving.com/

We know that the Department of Homeland Security has a very loose relationship with the truth and it’s only getting worse under new Secretary, and former plumber, Markwayne Mullin. Words have no meaning at all when oversight becomes politicization and protest becomes assault. A federal case in Washington state is a perfect example of how this is unfolding, as a jury convicted three ICE protesters with conspiracy for simply joining arms in the streets. The details of the case are shocking. Fred is joined to discuss it with investigative journalist, author, and Stanford Fellow Aaron Glantz, who has been following the case of one of the protesters, Army veteran Bajun Mavalwalla closely for a year. They are also joined by his father, Bajun Ray Malvalwalla, a retired Army officer himself who is running for Congress in Washington’s 5th District. The details of this case are shocking: from who they targeted for prosecution, the twisting of laws, to the choice of a location to prosecute that should chill every American.

Learn more about Aarons work at http://www.aglantz.com/

Follow Bajun’s campaign at https://www.votebajun.com/

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With Ken Paxton’s win in the Texas Senate runoff the MAGA talking
heads have unleashed a bizarre flood of hate, misogyny, and smears to
defend a man who was charged with felonies and impeached by his own
party. For many women watching it all unfold they are nodding along
knowing that women have faced these attacks for centuries. Every woman
who steps into the spotlight faces backlash and attacks far beyond the
moment. Fred sits down with two women who fight for this week’s show
on the moment we face in our democracy. Allison Butler a Senior
Lecturer, Associate Chair, and the Director of the Media Literacy
Certificate Program in the Department of Communication at the
University of Massachusetts Amherst. In her new book, THE JUDGMENT OF
GENDER: HOW WOMEN ARE CENTERED AND SILENCED IN POP CULTURE she offers
a searing critique of how media and popular culture dehumanize
women—even as they expand their coverage of them. He is also joined by
Danni Eickenhorst a St. Louis restaurant owner and a passionate
advocate - but most of all a community builder hoping to leave the St.
Louis region a little better than she found it. She owns several
restaurants but her primary focus day-to-day is two iconic local
restaurants: The Fountain on Locust and Steve’s Hot Dogs. Both guests
offer a unique perspective on the challenges faced by women who step
out of line and how we can fight back as participants in our
democracy.
Learn more about Allison’s work at
https://www.projectcensored.org/allison-butler/
Learn more about Danni’s work at https://www.hustl.group/

The Trump revenge tour is in full swing against not just his enemies in the Democratic Party but his own Republican members of Congress! In the last week he sent his Secretary of Defense to help successfully defeat Thomas Massie, endorsed Ken Paxton over John Cornyn, and helped oust Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy who promptly flipped his vote on the War Powers resolution. Trump still has to govern with this thin majority Congress and seems hell bent on torching his own agenda. Meanwhile the hotly debated DNC 2024 autopsy report came out to a wave of disappointment and disdain with most of us agreeing how dumb it all is. We need to win now. We need to help working Americans now in this election. How do we get there from here is on the mind of Fred’s guest, Kelly Dietrich, the founder and CEO of the National Democratic Training Committee, which is not affiliated with the DNC, as an independent organization providing guidance for anyone to run, staff, or support a campaign at any level. How do we seize this moment and more in this conversation as well as Fred’s perspective on this Memorial Day weekend.

Learn more at https://traindemocrats.org.

Trump and his Administration haven’t bothered hiding their racism this time. Every day we are reminded of his disdain for black Americans from the so called Anti-DEI attacks by DOGE to Pete Hegseth’s gutting of the military leadership of women and POC. But, Trump has special disdain for black women and shows it each time a journalist asks him a question. He bristles and calls them stupid or dumb. Always. Now we sit after the first black woman nominee of a major party for President lost and many are examining what happened both bad and good. Long time political activist Atima Omara has written a book that pulls the threads of black women in politics and where we go from here. Fred sits down with her this week to examine the moment and the path ahead. Atima is a nationally recognized award-winning political strategist, leader, writer, speaker, and advocate. She holds a BA in American Studies from the University of Virginia, and is a commentator on national politics, candidates, policy, race, gender and culture having been quoted in national outlets including The New York Times, Boston Globe, and The Atlantic. She’s appeared on CNN, PBS, Fox News, BBC, CBC, NPR, and MSNBC including Joy Reid’s The ReidOut. She was named one of one hundred notable Black Americans by EBONY Magazine. Atima’s writing was published in Wake Up America: Black Women on the Future of Democracy edited by Kesha Blain. She’s also written for Washington Post, the American Prospect, The Root, Teen Vogue, and other national outlets. Her latest book is book ‘The Instigators: How Black Women Have Been Essential to American Democracy (And What We Can Learn from Them) and is currently available at all your favorite book sellers.

Learn more about her book at: https://www.theinstigatorsbook.com/

The California redistricting passed and now there is change happening fast in the state and Republicans are scared. Republican Darrell Issa has been in Congress since 2003 and has decided not to run for reelection in his newly drawn 48th District and is openly talking about moving to Texas to run for Congress in friendlier ground. You can’t make up a more perfect example of how much the GOP favors winning elections by deciding who their voters are instead of on the basis of their policies and record. His retirement  leaves the 48th open to a Democratic flip and previous Democratic candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar is in the race take the seat. Ammar is a child of both Palestinian and Mexican heritage who grew up right in the district and is also now serving as a Naval Reserve officer. He is running as a populist for working Americans who have been left out of the economy and democracy for far too long. The California primary election is occurring right now up to June 2nd.

Learn more about his race at https://www.ammarforcongress.com/

Today marks 60 days since the war with Iran began. By law the War Powers Act is now expired and President Trump must seek Congressional authorization to continue military operations. He has not bothered and has now suggested that it actually isn't 60 days because there is a "ceasefire." Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth went before Congress this week for the first time and it went exactly as you would expect. He was belligerent, rude, angry, and out of control while attacking members who dared to question him or the war's outcomes. He and Trump directly called those asking them to follow the law and the Constitution unpatriotic and enemies of our own troops. It's ludicrous beyond measure but more importantly it's dangerous. Fred is solo this week going deep into the testimony and ensuring Hegseth is held accountable for his failures. Catch it now.

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Yesterday Kash Patel triumphantly announced the arrest of a Special Forces Master Sergeant who had bet on the fall of Maduro and made upwards of $400,000. But, oddly, no investigations have been announced into the series of oil futures trades and others just minutes before major announcements by Trump on Iran. Someone with the ability to spend $760 million is acting on insider information but the curiosity to find out who doesn’t seem to have struck the Trump Administration, DOJ, or the Republican Congress. Is this unplanned and disastrous war with Iran to make us safer or just another profit vehicle for Donald Trump, his kids, and friends? Fred sits down with Washington Post writer Josh Rogin to discuss the suspicious market manipulations, the war in Iran, and much more. Rogin is lead industry analyst for Global Security for WP Intelligence. Since 2016, Josh has served as a columnist for the Global Opinions section of the Post, where his columns have broken news, provided insight and driven the Washington conversation around national security and foreign policy. With a particular focus on Asia, Josh has interviewed top world leaders, officials and decision makers including the Prime Minister of Japan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, President-elect Donald Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris, Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo, and many more. He holds a BA from George Washington University in International Affairs and attended Sophia University, Tokyo. He is a recipient of the Livingston Award for Young Journalist and a 2011 finalist for the Interaction Award for Excellence in International Reporting. He also spends time reviewing ramen and fine watches at his Instagram @wastchtheramen in his limited free time.
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Between the Iran war and the upcoming midterms the United States is locked in both an international and domestic battle for power, a situation we have only faced a few times in our over 250 years of history. Iran has figured out that it doesn't actually have to win the shooting war to wield vast world influence by surviving and holding world trade hostage at its doorstep. At the same time Donald Trump and his MAGA movement face a reckoning this November like they have not faced since January 6, 2021. Trump knows that a sweeping Democratic victory in the midterms will all but end his power, financial windfalls, and influence for the remainder of his time in the White House. One thing that Fred's guest, Professor Robert Pape, knows is that no one gives up power willingly once they have a taste for it. They discuss both issues in depth and outline the danger we face. Robert A. Pape is Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago specializing in international security affairs. His humble bio bullet doesn't encompass his massive library of achievements and studies on both international affairs and political movements. He has published dozens of articles and regularly appears for his thoughtful analysis of the world and domestic situations.Learn more about Dr. Pape at https://political-science.uchicago.edu/directory/Robert-Pape