FEATURING STEPHEN SPAULDING – President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a high-level summit in Helsinki, Finland on Monday. The meeting followed from a 4-day trip to the UK where Trump was dogged by continuous protests from the streets of London to the area around his golf course in Scotland.

While he was in the UK, news broke of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s indictment of 12 Russian citizens over election meddling in the 2016 Presidential race. Trump was urged by lawmakers, including Republicans, to raise the issue with Mr. Putin but Trump refused. On Monday morning he and Mr. Putin faced reporters together and had a joint press conference where Mr. Trump repeatedly defended Putin against his own Justice Department’s findings.

On Friday Mr. Mueller released a detailed indictment of 12 military intelligence officials from Russia and outlined their hacking efforts into the computer servers of the Democratic National Committee and their subsequent efforts to use the information they harvested to influence the outcome of the US Presidential race. Trump immediately tweeted that it was President Obama’s responsibility to have done something about the interference.

Stephen Spaulding, Chief of Strategy and External Affairs for Common Cause.

President Donald Trump is meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a high-level summit in Helsinki, Finland today. The meeting followed from a 4-day trip to the UK where Trump was dogged by continuous protests from the streets of London to the area around his golf course in Scotland. While in the UK, news broke of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s indictment of 12 Russian citizens over election meddling in the 2016 Presidential race. Trump was urged by lawmakers, including Republicans, to raise the issue with Mr. Putin but Trump demurred. On Monday morning he and Mr. Putin faced reporters together.

That’s President Donald Trump addressing Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Monday in Helsinki.

In a separate meeting on the same day European Union Council President Donald Tusk urged Trump and Putin to preserve the current order. He said, “It is the common duty of Europe and China, America and Russia, not to destroy this order but to improve it, not to start trade wars which turn into hot conflict so often in our history.” Trump had started his European trip in Brussels at the annual NATO Summit where he angered American allies before heading to Britain.

On Sunday Trump spoke with CBS Evening News from his golf course in Scotland where he named the European Union a “foe.”

After a very contentious interview in a tabloid paper where he criticized UK Prime Minister Theresa May about her handling of BREXIT negotiations among other things, Mr. Trump gave an interview to conservative host Piers Morgan on Friday aboard Air Force One. That interview is being broadcast today. During the conversation Trump admitted that he was surprised by the complexity of the BREXIT negotiations. 

Meanwhile here in the United States, the aforementioned indictment of 12 Russians by Special Counsel Robert Mueller has ignited a firestorm. On Friday Mr. Mueller released a detailed indictment of 12 military intelligence officials from Russia and outlined their hacking efforts into the computer servers of the Democratic National Committee and their subsequent efforts to use the information they harvested to influence the outcome of the US Presidential race. Here is the Justice Department’s Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announcing the indictments on Friday.

That was Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announcing the indictments of 12 Russian military intelligence officials as part of Special Counsel Mueller’s probe. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself from the investigation. The timing of the indictments was conspicuous, coming just before Trump’s meeting with Putin. Mr. Trump has so far refused to raise the issue with Putin but did tweet twice (here and here) about how it was President Obama’s responsibility to take a...

FEATURING PATRICK ROSENSTIEL – Chief among the many rallying cries in the wake of the disastrous 2016 Presidential election were calls to abolish the electoral college system in the US. Donald Trump lost the popular vote by nearly 3 million, but scraped by with just enough gains in the right states to win the electoral college vote and become President with a minority mandate – only the 4th time such a thing has happened in US history.

The original intent of the founders was to undermine the direct election of a President by popular vote, based on fears that a demagogue would rise to power through manipulating the public. Little did they know that in 2016 a demagogue was able to use the electoral college to achieve the same ends.

Now, a new and little known nationwide effort has taken root to end the power of the electoral college in our Presidential elections. It is called the National Popular Vote and here is former Labor Secretary and author Robert Reich explaining exactly how it works.

That’s former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, a prominent progressive activist, explaining the effort to end the power of the electoral college. We turn now to

Find more at www.nationalpopularvote.com.

Patrick Rosenstiel, Senior Consultant to National Popular Vote, Inc.

FEATURING CHRISTINE NEUMANN- ORTIZ – The Trump Administration is saying that it has completed the task set forth by a judge to reunite all children under the age of 5 with their parents, albeit 2 days past the Tuesday deadline. But to date only 57 out of 103 children have been reunited and the rest, according to the government, will remain separated for various reasons that include parents having criminal records or not being biologically related to the children.

The troubling announcement was made in a joint statement by the Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security Agencies, and the Department of Justice. It remains to be seen if Judge Dana Sabraw who issued the order will agree that the government has complied.

In Wisconsin mass protests earlier this year railed against Waukesha County Sheriff Severson who formally requested what’s called “287G authority” from the federal government for his officers to cooperate with federal immigration officers. The Waukesha County Sheriffs Deputies are being certified in that role now, and the Wisconsin-based organization Voces De La Frontera is launching a, “Family Defenders Organizing Training” to train local communities in how to deal with the racial profiling, arrests, deportations, and abuses that are likely to ensue.

For more information visit www.vdlf.org.

Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces De La Frontera.

President Donald Trump kept setting off metaphorical fires all over Europe as he continued his UK trip, fresh from a NATO Summit where he left allies aghast at his demands and behavior. The day before he met UK Prime Minister Theresa May, he gave an explosive interview to the tabloid paper, The Sun (which is owned by Rupert Murdoch) where he blasted May for not taking his advice on how to negotiate a BREXIT deal, said a US-UK trade deal was off, and that controversial former foreign minister Boris Johnson would make a good Prime Minister. Trump on Friday backtracked, telling reporters, “I didn’t criticize the prime minister.”

In his Sun Interview Trump also explained how he didn’t feel welcome in London implying that the mass protests were embarrassing him, and blamed Mayor Sadiq Khan for encouraging terrorism in the city. Mayor Khan responded directly to the press.

That’s London Mayor Sadiq Khan responding to allegations made by Trump in a UK tabloid paper during his trip there. Trump’s visit has prompted mass protests all over the UK. Here’s an AP report of some of the protests that took place today including an interview with an American who lives in London.

Later in the program we’ll go to London to speak with social justice organizer Sebastian Ordoñez Muñoz with the group War Against Want who will explain what is happening on the ground this week in the UK and why people are joining together in “Carnival of Resistance” against Trump and Trumpism.

The Trump Administration is saying that it has completed the task set forth by a judge to reunite all children under the age of 5 with their parents, albeit 2 days past the Tuesday deadline. But to date only 57 out of 103 children have been reunited and the rest, according to the government, will remain separated for various reasons that include parents having criminal records or not being biologically related to the children. The troubling announcement was made in a joint statement by the Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security Agencies, and the Department of Justice. It remains to be seen if Judge Dana Sabraw who issued the order will agree that the government has complied.

An Associated Press analysis has found that imprisoning immigrant children is now a billion dollar industry in the US. The industry’s profits have increased ten-fold over the past decade. According to AP, “Currently, more than 11,800 children, from a few months old to 17, are housed in nearly 90 facilities in 15 states,” and that “by far the largest recipients of taxpayer money have been Southwest Key and Baptist Child & Family Services,” which are non-profit and religious organizations.

On Thursday the congressional testimony of an FBI staffer became explosive and made headlines. Peter Strzok, who was taken off of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation team because of his incriminating texts was confronted by Republican lawmakers attempting to taint the Mueller investigation. Here is an exchange between Rep. Trey Gowdy,

FEATURING NORMAN SOLOMON – Ahead of the highly anticipated one-on-one summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki next week, political pundits and media analysts are making sweeping pronouncements. Democratic Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey said on Wednesday that he was, “worried how the President will unfold” during the meeting. Menendez is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and added during his CNN interview that Russia is, “an adversary, from my view they’re a foe.”

Independent Senator Angus King echoed that sentiment on the same day, also on CNN saying that he was, “afraid that we’re playing into Putin’s hands.” He added that Putin, “views the western alliance as a threat and he wants to see it undermined. That’s their strategy.”

Now a letter signed onto by dozens of progressive academics, activists, and analysts such as Gloria Steinem, Noam Chomsky and Michael Moore is calling for calm in the midst of the anti-Russian hysteria. The letter is entitled, “Common Ground: For Secure Elections and True National Security.” One of the letter’s signatories Norman Solomon now joins me.

Sign the petition at RootsAction.org.

Norman Solomon, journalist with ExposeFacts.org, a project of the Institute for Public Accuracy, where he’s executive director. Norman is the author of War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death; and a co-founder of RootsAction.org.

FEATURING SEBASTIAN ORDOÑEZ MUÑOZ – Mass protests are taking place on Friday in London and other cities around Britain putting US President Donald Trump on notice that he is not welcome. Trump had canceled plans in the past in anticipation of being met by protesters and this week’s 4-day visit to the UK marks his first time in the country as President. The trip is designed to avoid the major cities where protests are taking place.

Among the tactics getting widespread attention is a massive “Trump Baby” balloon that activists won approval to fly in London’s skies. London mayor Sadiq Khan – the city’s first Muslim mayor – had been in a Twitter spat with Trump some months ago.

We go now to the UK to speak with one of the protest organizers ahead of the planned actions.

For more information visit www.waronwant.org.

Sebastian Ordoñez Muñoz, Senior International Programmes Officer (Latin America), War on Want. He is also co-founder of Movimiento Jaguar Despierto, a London-based social justice collective connecting issues of race, migration and social justice.

President Trump closed out his visit to Brussels for the annual NATO Summit claiming he had successfully convinced European allies to spend more on their militaries. During a tense two days Trump told Germany it was being controlled by Russia and then lectured the gathered heads of state that they ought to spend not just 2% of their nations’ budgets on their militaries, but 4% like the US does. According to the Guardian newspaper, “Trump left the assembled presidents and prime ministers floundering, unsure whether he was serious about the 4% target, double the existing NATO target of 2%, which many do not meet, or whether it was just a ploy.” He then declared victory on Thursday in his speech before leaving the summit. 

That was President Trump on Thursday at the NATO Summit in Brussels claiming that he had convinced NATO allies to spend more on their militaries. NATO allies disputed that claim.

Trump has landed in the UK for his first visit there as President. He has so far refrained from flying in because of the threat of mass protests. His 4-day visit to the UK appears to have been designed to avoid large cities where major actions are planned. He will attend a dinner at Winston Churchill’s former palace and then meet with Prime Minister Theresa May and Queen Elizabeth before heading to his private golf course in Scotland. Protests in the UK are reported to involve a massive “Trump Baby” balloon that was approved by London Authorities.

After his trip to the UK Trump is expected to have a high-level one-on-one summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. Among the points of discussion will be the war in Syria. We’ll be covering what is expected at that summit on tomorrow’s show as well as how some on the left are warning against the US sliding into a new Cold War with Russia.

Meanwhile,Putin met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday in Moscow for talks on the Syria war, and specifically Iran’s role in that war. Netanyahu reiterated close ties between Israel and Russia.

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Trump’s nominee to lead the criminal division of the Department of Justice. Brian Benczkowski was confirmed by a narrow vote along party lines as an Assistant Attorney General despite concerns raised by Democrats about his time working for a major Russian bank that they say could complicate Robert Mueller’s investigation. They also raised his lack of experience in running one of the Department’s most important divisions that oversees major criminal cases.

US Senators want a say in the tariffs that Trump has been unilaterally announcing against China, Europe, Canada, and Mexico. On Wednesday lawmakers held a bi-partisan vote of 88-11 on a symbolic measure that called for Congress to have more say in tariffs that are launched with a national security justification. Retiring Republican Senator Jeff Flake said about the bill, “We have to rein in abuse of presidential authority and restore Congress’ constitutional authority in this regard.”

The adult film actress Stormy Daniels has been arrested in Columbus, Ohio after an undercover sting operation by police. She is being accused of violating a law in Ohio called the Community Defense Act during her performan...

FEATURING ZOË CARPENTER – While there has been much discussion in the media and among politicians about the devastating opioid crisis in the US, a group that is deeply impacted but often ignored are the children of those who struggle with addiction. A new cover story in the Nation Magazine by reporter Zoë Carpenter takes a deep dive into the community of Ravenswood, West Virginia.

Ravenswood is an industrial town that is also deeply religious. Factories have shuttered and thousands are jobless – a perfect storm for opioid addiction to flourish in.

The children of addicts might have been born dependent on opioids. Many live with foster parents or grandparents. The local school is one of the few places where these children’s struggles are seen and felt.

Read Zoë Carpenter’s cover story in The Nation is called ‘These Kids Are Watching Their Parents Die’, HERE.

Zoë Carpenter, The Nation’s associate Washington editor. She worked previously for Rolling Stone, and has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, and other media outlets.

FEATURING CHENJERAI KUMANYIKA – The city of Philadelphia has become a major national flashpoint in the grassroots campaign to abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. An encampment in front of an ICE detention center set up days ago, was raided by police. Several people were violently arrested. Protesters were undeterred and simply moved their action to the front of the Philadelphia City Hall.

In addition to calling for an end to ICE, people are demanding that Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney end the Preliminary Arraignment Reporting System (PARS) agreement.

Among those on the front lines of the Philadelphia occupation is our correspondent Chenjerai Kumayika.

Chenjerai Kumanyika is an Assistant Professor in the Rutgers University Department of Journalism and Media Studies and a news correspondent for Rising Up With Sonali.