Living in the USA

Trump asked for, and got, a ten percent increase in defense spending this year – even though the American military is the most massive, the most technologically advanced, and the best-funded fighting force in the world. But in the last fifteen years of constant war it has won nothing. Tom Engelhardt comments; he’s the legendary editor who created and runs the TomDispatch website, and his new book is “A Nation Unmade by War.” Plus: Trump and Syrian refugees: During Obama’s last year, about 10,000 were admitted to the US; so far this year, the number is eleven. Wendy Pearlman explains – she interviewed hundreds of Syrian refugees across the Middle East and Europe. Her new book is “We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria."

After reviewing Trump’s growing confrontation with Europe, Yanis Varouvakis concludes that 'Trump Isn’t Stupid.' Yanis is a former finance minister of Greece who took office in 2015, after five years of debt crisis and economic and social decline had left half the country’s young people unemployed. Greece at that point elected the most radical coalition to govern a European country in decades. Yanis became a European-wide celebrity when he resisted the demands of Europe’s bankers for austerity as Greece held out for restructuring its debt, --But then the government submitted and Yanis left office. Now he has co-founded an international grassroots movement that is campaign for the revival of democracy in Europe. He’s written many books, most recently “Adults in the Room” and “Talking to my Daughter About the Economy—or, How Capitalism works—and how it fails.” Also: there are 219,000 women in prison in the United States -- Rachel Kushner’s new novel, “The Mars Room,” is a story about of one of them. She’ll be in-studio to talk about it.

Is Trump crazy? Amy Wilentz talks about 'The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump,' a book edited by Bandy X. Lee, in which 27 psychiatrists and mental-health experts give their assessments of the president. The book was number four on the New York Times bestseller list. Also: Trump and the NRA: at the beginning of the 2016 campaign, Trump's status as a gun person was uncertain -- but he succeed in transforming himself during the campaign. The Nation's George Zornick reports (recorded after the Las Vegas shootings).

Trump’s plan on pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal is to pressure Iran to restart negotiations on terms more favorable to the US—but that’s never going to happen, says Michael Klare. And Trump has no Plan B – except for war—which could quickly involve Israel fighting in Lebanon against Iran’s ally Hezbollah, which has thousands of rockets aimed at Israeli cities. Also: the coming showdown in Texas between populist Democrats and establishment Democrats: D. D. Guttenplan has returned from the Lone Star State with a report on the political transformation underway there.

The amazing news from Korea about the prospects for peace and de-nuclearization: historian Bruce Cumings of the University of Chicago comments, warning that the Washington consensus opposes a treaty. His books include “The Korean War: A History” and “North Korea: Another Country.” Plus: Trump’s greatest vulnerability may not be Russiagate, but rather his financial and tax crimes. David Cay Johnston has been investigating and reporting on Trump’s finances for nearly 30 years. He won a Pulitzer Prize at The New York Times, and now he’s editor-in-chief of DCReport.org.

Full Employment is emerging as a key component of Democratic platforms — Harold Meyerson talks about the history and the prospect of a new "Jobs for All" program. Plus, the Trump re-election nightmare could come true — Tom Frank talks about why (it's the economy!) and how we can stop it. Lastly, Mueller's Questions and Trump's Answers: Bob Dreyfuss of the Nation comments on the changing story about paying Stormy Daniels, and about Trump's options in the face of the release of Mueller's questions for him.

on Wed. April 25 the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the Travel Ban 3.0 case (Trump v. Hawaii) — David Cole, National Legal Director of the ACLU, for comments. Plus, the legendary Washington political journalist and author of “Washington Journal: Reporting Watergate and Richard Nixon's Downfall,” Elizabeth Drew, reviews "A Higher Loyalty," by James Comey. Lastly, it has been 50 years since Columbia '68 — Mark Rudd, political organizer, mathematics instructor, anti-war activist and onetime member of the Weather Underground, shares his lessons for the left: "build the base!"

Viet Thanh Nguyen talks about being a refugee in the US—he has edited a new collection, "The Displaced: Refugee Writers on Refugee Lives," published by Abrams Books. Plus, Harold Meyerson on California v. Trump (29 lawsuits and counting), the teacher's strike, and more. Lastly, Margaret Atwood on her book, "The Handmaid's Tale," now a TV series—season two premieres on April 25th.

Paul Ryan calls it quits: Why now? John Nichols comments. Plus, Adam Winkler on the civil rights of corporations, and what they mean in this time of Trump; his new book, "We the Corporations: How American Businesses Won Their Civil Rights," was published earlier this year. Lastly, Mark Hertsgaard on cellphones, cancer and his new article for The Nation: "How Big Wireless Made Us Think That Cell Phones Are Safe: A Special Investigation."

Adam Hochschild talks about his visit to a gun show, the NRA, the Koch brothers, and gun laws in America — his new piece, "Bang for the Buck," is in the latest issue of the New York Review of Books. Next, Trump made his first statement on Stormy Daniels today — we turn to Joshua Holland of The Nation (our Chief Stormy Correspondent) for the update. Lastly, yesterday was the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — Tavis Smiley talks about his last days and his legacy.