Living in the USA

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.

Michelle Obama declares in her new memoir, “I am not a political person, so I’m not going to attempt to offer an analysis” of Trump’s victory. That’s her stance in the rest of the book as well. It seems strange for the person the New York Times called “The most outspoken first lady in modern history.” What’s going on here? Amy Wilentz comments. Plus: The Democrats won the midterms by the largest popular vote margin for either party in the history of midterm elections — larger than the Watergate midterm after Nixon resigned in 1974, 44 years ago. But there was a deeper and more significant victory hidden behind those numbers, Kai Wright argues: the political mobilization of millions of people of color in the South.

Fifty-three per cent of white women voters, according to exit polls in 2016, voted for Trump. Why? And, will their minds be changed? We turn to Katha Pollitt for comment. Next up: Republicans who stood up to the president's abuses of power in the early 1970s -- and Republicans today, who don't. Micheal Koncewicz, author of "They Said No to Nixon" revisits Watergate and 'The enemies list project'. Magician, actor, author, scholar and master showman, Ricky Jay passed away last Sunday -- we remember him with an interview from 2001.

Frank Rich finds lessons for Democrats in the midterms: seeking “the political center,” as recommended by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristoff, running on “clean-government themes and promises of incremental improvement to the health care system rather than transformational social change,” is “ridiculous.” Frank writes about politics for New York Magazine and is executive producer of VEEP on HBO. Also: Trump’s appointment of a new acting attorney general, Matt Whitaker: is it legal? He hasn’t been confirmed by the Senate – or even nominated. Erwin Chemerinsky comments—he’s dean of the law school at UC Berkeley, and his new book is “We the People: A Progressive Reading of the Constitution for the 21st Century.”

The 2018 Midterm Elections: What can we learn from what happened in the Midwest and the Rust Belt? John Nichols has the report on Pennsylvania, Michigan, and--of course--Wisconsin. Next, we talk with Sasha Abramsky for his take on the Southwestern states: Arizona, Nevada, Texas--and of course California. Plus, Katha Pollitt talks about all those women candidates -- the Democrats and the Republicans.

The terrible record of Jeff Sessions as Attorney General: Ahilan Arulanantham, ACLU SoCal Senior Counsel, who argued in the 9th circuit against Sessions' policies -- and won. Also: the latest on DACA. Also, Harold Meyerson on the midterms: they deepened the Dem hold on cities and suburbs -- and the Republican hold on the hills and the dales. Plus: Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of the law school at UC Berkeley, on the old Attorney General, and the new one--and what the change could mean for Mueller and his investigation.

With under five days until the November 6, Midterm elections, we have two political updates: John Nichols comments on national matters and David Dayen reports on the California situation. Plus: Singapore-born film-maker Sandi Tan, joins us in-studio to talk about her Sundance award-winning documentary, "Shirkers," now streaming on Netflix.