Politics

Author Corey Robin (@CoreyRobin) joins us to discuss his new book, The Enigma of Clarence Thomas. On today’s show: Kevin McCarthy indignant about impeachment, Steny Hoyer says GOP is just getting mad now. Corey Robin (@CoreyRobin), professor of political science at Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, joins us to discuss his new book, The Enigma of Clarence Thomas. While Clarence Thomas is currently the longest serving justice on the SCOTUS, he is not widely studied or understood. In this book, Robin explores the experiences that shaped his views and decisions, tying together strands including black nationalism, Afro-pessimism, patriarchy, and a belief in unfettered capitalism and state authority. At base, Robin argues, Thomas’ belief in racism as an individualized, transhistorical, and impossible-to-vanquish force is similar to what liberals believe, yet also a primary driver of his conservative ideology. On the fun half: How will impeachment affect 2020 turnout? Ben Shapiro on Sept 24: “No quid pro quo, no impeachment…no moving goal posts.” Shapiro moving the goal post Nov 1: “There was a quid pro quo…the question is whether it was corrupt.” Bernie says he wants to pay for m4a in a progressive way, but doesn’t want to explain that now. Bernie explains costs difference for private insurance vs. m4a health coverage. Yang on m4a: “I’m adopting the label but not the bill.” Buttigieg says Democrats need “humility” in new healthcare policies. Pelosi aide Wendell Primus’ anti-m4a talking points. Pelosi does not support m4a in 2020 election. Graph: US life expectancy vs. that of other developed nations. Pelosi pledges commitment to pay-go and infrastructure week. MTA turnstile protest. Follow the organizers and get involved at decolonizethisplace.org! Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com Check out today’s sponsors: Everlane only makes premium essentials, using the finest materials, without traditional markups: right now, you can check out our personalized collection at Everlane.com/majority Capterra: Capterra is the leading, free online resource to help you find the best software solution for your business, Visit Capterra.com/MAJORITY for free, today, to find the tools to make an informed software decision for your business Subscribe to the AM Quickie here  Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks live show in Philadelphia on Saturday, November 23rd (the weekend before Thanksgiving) with special guests Krystal Ball and Emma Vigeland! Get your tickets here. Check out Michael on The Hill on the global uprisings here Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the new TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips Check out Matt’s podcast, Literary Hangover, at Patreon.com/LiteraryHangover, or on iTunes. Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or the new Antifada Youtube channel Donate to El Comedor, an autonomous mutual aid center in Tijuana run by and serving the needs of migrants, at https://www.gofundme.com/f/tijuana-kitchen Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @_michaelbrooks @MattLech @jamie_elizabeth @Bf1nn

Imagine if Kodak had answered the threat of digital photography by pivoting from film to outdoor grills. Imagine if Blockbuster had taken on the challenge from Netflix by shifting from DVDs to fast food. Imagine if men’s magazines stared down the post-#MeToo manpocalypse by disowning men. Maybe the last one isn’t so hypothetical? At a…

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for ProPublica’s Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox as soon as they are published. ST. GABRIEL, La. — Over a half-century, Hazel Schexnayder saw this riverside hamlet transformed from a collection of old plantations, tin-roofed shacks and…

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for ProPublica’s Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox as soon as they are published. About 10 years ago, Michael Gillespie and several classmates at Pekin Community High School in central Illinois were clicking on links on the…

In a recent survey, three-quarters of economists polled by The Wall Street Journal predicted a recession would hit before the end of 2021. That’s scary news for college students. The last recession helped fuel state budget cuts and led to a steep jump in college debt. College affordability — and the need for greater state…

Migrants from Honduras wait in line at the Mexico-United States border crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, on Sept. 12, 2019. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for ProPublica’s Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox as soon as they are published. Thousands of migrants who…

Good morning, on today’s Majority Report Michael Brooks hosts Matt Karp, professor of History at Princeton University, for his latest piece in the Jacobin, “Is This the Future Liberals Want?” Join as Karp and Brooks discuss the prospects of Trump in 2020 and the potential pitfalls of “progressive technocracy” defining the future of the Democratic party. Brooks and Karp begin their conversation exploring the broader course of the Democratic party’s New Deal coalition politics transition away from working people. In losing this class configuration, Karp believes voters have put the individual politician above the policy platform, leaving the foundation of any movement unstable at best. Additionally, the restructuring of the global economy and left political parties moving away from class alignment have accelerated the political realignment underway across western democracies. Shifting gears, Brooks and Karp take on the political media discourse surrounding the “professional-managerial class” identity that the Democratic Party now upholds. Karp argues that this breed of Democrats does not have the fight that a material class-based party would in struggling for things like Medicare for All and Card Check. It’s impossible to ignore the rate at which inequality is growing, which is why the professional class Democrats see Warren as a crucial candidate. But still, Karp and Brooks believe, given the track record of recent Democratic presidents, only a working class-driven candidate from the grassroots arm of the party can push through progressive legislation that produces material benefits for workers. The two conclude their conversation considering the challenges that a Bernie Sanders administration would face and how his grassroots movement would confront and mobilize against the capitalist class.  And in the Fun Half: Bernie’s debate performance and the Squad endorsement, recalling Bernie’s defense of Ilhan Omar amidst anti-semitism attacks, remembering Elijah Cummings, assessing the Democratic primary field, the Serfs call in and share their charity drive stream, Kamala Harris can’t stop talking about Twitter mods, updates on the Chicago Teachers’ Strike, Warren’s stance on Israel/Palestine, libertarians who like Bernie, Bullprog’s story from the Minneapolis  Trump rally, Warren supporter tells Fox News the billionaires class bitches too much about taxes, plus your calls and IMs! Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com Don’t forget to subscribe to Majority.FM’s new morning podcast the AM Quickie! Check out today’s sponsor:  Babble: Choose from 14 different languages – including Spanish, French, and Italian – and speak your new language within weeks. Once you try it for free and are ready to sign up, select the three-month option and Babbel will give you 3 additional months for FREE with promo code MAJORITY. Go to Babbel.com, promo code Majority Cariuma marries old school designs with new-school ethics. For a limited time, our listeners can get an exclusive 15% off your first pair of Cariuma sneakers! Go to cariuma.com/majority to get 15% off. BetterHelp gives you access to your own fully licensed and accredited therapist via phone, chat, or video. They’re giving everyone in our audience 10% off your first month when you go to https://betterhelp.com/majorityreport Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks live show in Philadelphia on Saturday, November 23rd (the weekend before Thanksgiving) with special guests Krystal Ball and Emma Vigeland! Get your tickets here. Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the new TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips Check out Matt’s podcast, Literary Hangover, at Patreon.com/LiteraryHangover, or on iTunes. Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or the new Antifada Youtube channel Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @_michaelbrooks @MattLech @jamie_elizabeth @Bf1nn

As the presidential election approaches, the cracks in the digital facade are once again showing. Facebook just removed an “I Love America” page, run by Ukrainians, which pushed recycled pro-Trump imagery from the Internet Research Agency, the Russian group that tried to influence the 2016 election. As it turned out, “I Love America” wasn’t state…

Play Video 5:26 Things are getting serious for Donald Trump. The swiftly unrolling Ukraine scandal could cause him to become only the third president to be impeached.But what is impeachment? How does it work? And how likely is it to happen? Adam Gabbatt has the answers Topics Donald Trump Trump impeachment inquiry US politics Trump…

Benjamin Dixon (@BenjaminPDixon), host of the Benjamin Dixon Show, and comedian and filmmaker Tim Heidecker (@timheidecker) join us for Casual Friday. On today’s show: Trump says Somalis have ruined communities, promises crackdown on refugees and immigrants. Benjamin Dixon (@BenjaminPDixon), host of the Benjamin Dixon Show, joins us to break down the news. Support for impeachment is rising among voters and the Democratic Party establishment is finally on board. What does it mean for strategy going forward? Trump abandons the Kurds in Syria; US and Russia veto UN Security Council’s statement on Turkey’s invasion of Syria. Comedian and filmmaker Tim Heidecker (@timheidecker) joins us to discuss his forthcoming movie, ‘Mister America.’ In this absurdist political mockumentary, Heidecker plays a bumbling failson who narrowly escapes a murder charge stemming from his EDM festival, then runs to unseat the San Bernadino county DA who tried to put him in prison. Sam then takes a walk down memory lane and plays the high concept trailer for his 1997 film, “Who’s the Caboose?” On the fun half: Rand Paul gets laughed at on “The View” when discussing economic inequality. Ben Shapiro rails against public schools teaching about gay rights. Bernie addresses our healthcare system, taking on everybody in ‘History Is On Our Side’ Instagram video. Durbin questions Neomi Rao, Trump’s pick for DC circuit court, on her past writings about race. PG&E blackout map. Trump says he’s not corrupt like Biden because he doesn’t care about money, and “no one has ever heard the word emoluments before.” Trump attacks Ilhan Omar as 9-11 minimizer, anti-Semite. Plus, your calls and IMs! Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com Check out today’s sponsor: Embark Vet: Developed by doctors and veterinarians, Embark tests for over 250 breeds and 170 genetic health conditions, Go to Embarkvet.com and use promo code MAJORITY to save 15% off your Dog DNA Test Kit • That’s Embarkvet.com with the promo code MAJORITY. Become a member of the Majority Report today! Don’t forget to subscribe to Majority.FM’s new morning podcast the AM Quickie! Get your tickets to the Goth Socialist Variety Hour w/ The Antifada and Pod Damn America featuring guests Matt Christman, Virgil Texas, Leslie Lee III & Comrade Barbie at Littlefield NYC on Saturday, October 12 here! Get your tickets to the Michael Brooks live show in Philadelphia on Saturday, November 23rd (the weekend before Thanksgiving) with special guests Krystal Ball and Emma Vigeland! Get your tickets here. Check out Michael’s latest piece in Jacobin Rojava. Check out The Michael Brooks Show at patreon.com/tmbs, and the new TMBS YouTube channel for all short TMBS clips Check out Matt’s podcast, Literary Hangover, at Patreon.com/LiteraryHangover, or on iTunes. Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or the new Antifada Youtube channel Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @_michaelbrooks @MattLech @jamie_elizabeth @Bf1nn