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New Year. New Ideas. New America.  Economic populism, a progressive foreign policy and the shape of America’s future. Plus what’s next for affordable health care?   The midterm mandate on economic populism, why we need a progressive mandate on foreign policy,  and after a judge rules ACA unconstitutional, what’s next?   Adam Green Adam Green is an advocate for progressive change at the local, state and national levels. He says if there is one lesson to learn from the midterms .. it’s that economic populism is the new mainstream.   Eric Lutz The President's Foreign Policy agenda is increasingly reckless with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle clearly unnerved. Our next guest says the time is long overdue for progressives to step up.   Alice Ollstein Coming up, Bill Press talks with Politico’s Health Care Reporter Alice Ollstein about the Affordable Health Care Act after the latest judicial ruling and the political agenda behind it.   Jim Hightower Our “War” President  

Looking back to move forward.  The deep history of the radical right and its influence today.  Plus, the lessons learned from impeachments past. And Bill Press talks California Congressman Raul Ruiz for a report back from the border.   Historian and author  Nancy MacLean talks about one of the most notable books of the year … “Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America.  Plus Constitutional Scholar Alan Hirsch on his newest book “Impeaching the President: Past, Present and Future”. And Bill Press talks California Congressman Raul Ruiz on his visit to the border to investigate the death of Jakelin Caal  Macquin   Nancy MacLean When historian Nancy MacLean released her most recent book in 2017, she described a long term and effective movement to undermine democracy in America, inspired by radical free-market advocates, and funded by the Koch brothers. She says that despite it’s chilling tale, reaction to the book as well as the midterm elections have only reinforced he

Don’t forget the grassroots.  The activists behind the blue wave.  The connection between drivers licenses and economic justice. Plus Bill Press talks with US Congresswoman Jackie Speier.   We remember two Latino activists and the progressive legacy that lives on.  Plus … why the Southern Poverty Law Center is filing a lawsuit over drivers’ licenses. And Bill Press talks California Congresswoman Jackie Speier about her new book “Undaunted: Surviving Jonestown, Summoning Courage and Fighting Back.   Gustavo Arrelano Latino Voters showed up  for the midterm elections,  nearly doubling their turnout over 2014. … and there were many victories to bear witness to the rise in Latino political power. But as one writer wants us to remember, it’s power that comes from the  immense dedication of activists who have been working for decades to get us here. Two of them passed away recently and our first guest helps us remember them.   Samuel Brooke The Southern Poverty Law Center  is challenging Alabama’s practice of suspe

Reversing the damage of the Trump Administration. How to right the wrongs of Jeff Sessions’ drug policy. How the midterms delivered a call to action on climate change.  Plus, is it time to kill the lame duck?   Marijuana legalization as a gateway to social justice.  Plus, the policies that can confront climate change and the politicians who will fight for them. And Bill Press talks about election fraud and GOP power grabs with ThinkProgress reporter Addy Baird.   Jessica Ennisz The President continues to attack the Paris Climate Agreement and deny the threat of global warming. Our first guest says  new leadership in the house and in state legislatures offers hope for change.   Michael Collins Pro-marijuana candidates won big in the midterm elections. Our next guest says they open the window to replace the war on drugs with drug policies that express the ideals of racial and social justice   Addy Baird Bill Press talks with Addy Baird of ThinkProgress about election fraud in North Carolina, voter suppression i

Getting it right this time. Putting an end to unfair Medicaid work requirements.  Fixing a corrupt campaign finance system. Plus, Bill Press on what it will take to confront climate change.   Why the Southern Poverty Law Center is suing the Trump Administration.   Plus, Fred Wertheimer and the movement to restore ethics and integrity to government. And Bill Press with Amy Harder of Axios.   Samuel Brooke The President continues to pursue  his policy to attach work requirements to medicaid benefits. Our first guest says it’s a policy that has a devastating impact on people’s lives which why his organization is suing the Trump administration to stop it.   Fred Wertheimer President Fred Wertheimer has played a key role in every major campaign finance reform and ethics battle in Congress since the post-Watergate reforms in the 1970s. He continues that career now as President of Democracy 21, where he calls on a new Congress to restore integrity to governing.   Amy Harder Coming up, Bill Press talks Amy Harder of

Looking ahead to 2020. Winning over the white working class.  What will it take? Plus, making the case for a national popular vote.  And, Bill Press with a an early look at the candidates who could take on Trump.   What progressive Democrats need to do now to regain the white working class vote.   Plus, inside the movement for a national popular vote and the difference it could make. And Bill Press talks about what the midterms tell us about who could run and win in the next race for President.   Justin Guest Justin Guest has written extensively about our nation’s white working class voters.  He says that Democrats still have a long way to go to to regain the ground they’ve lost to Donald Trump.   Karen Hobert Flynn As it stands now,  the 2018 midterms popular vote went overwhelmingly in favor of Democrats in the House with a margin not seen since 1974. And once again, that did not necessarily translate into electoral wins.  In an encore interview, our next guest says it’s time to value all votes equally … an

How a new Congress can change the agenda on immigration. And Bill Press with Congressman Dan Kildee (MI) on the Democratic majority in the House and what to do with it.   How voters used ballot measures to mandate an agenda for progressive change.  And what Democrats need to do to end the policy of fear on immigration. Plus, Bill Press talks with Representative Dan Kildee (MI-05) on what the Democratic Party should stand for now.   Chris Melody Fields Figueredo Across the country, voters used ballot initiatives in the midterm elections to take democracy into their own hands. Our first guest says it is a story about progressive change that still needs to be told.   Justin Gest The rhetoric of fear over immigration dominated the midterm elections. Our next guest says Democrats now have an opportunity to turn that around.   Dan Kildee Bill Press talks with Representative Dan Kildee (MI-05) on what’s next for progressive democrats on Capitol Hill.   Jim Hightower Avoid Amazon's "Cyber Monday," and buy local  

Election Results. The President under the microscope. A still divided Congress … and a labor wave.   With the midterms behind us, will the President finally be held accountable for his actions? And as over 800 union members get elected to office… what do they want? Plus, Bill Press on the historic wins for women.   David Corn The midterm election was widely seen as a referendum on President Trump. Journalist David Corn says that if nothing else, this election makes is possible for Congress to do what it is supposed to do … hold the Executive Branch in check.   Chris Garlock A record number of labor-endorsed union members claimed victory in the midterms.  Union organizer Chris Garlock tells us how they did it and what it may mean.   Bob Bland Bob Bland, founder of The Women’s March joins  Bill Press to talk about the women who will change the way our nation is governed.   Jim Hightower Putting traumatized immigrant children out of sight.

The movement for economic justice in America, and the fight for everyone to have a say.   This week, “good news”  from the frontlines in the battle for voting rights. Plus …  an agenda for change. Why progressive Democrats will not settle for just “stopping Trump.” And what women running for office are doing to be part of that change.   Miles Rapoport Miles Rapoport has spent his career fighting for American democracy He says that as we face one of the most concentrated efforts in recent history to limit the right to vote  … activists are fighting back and making a difference.   Roger Hickey Roger Hickey is a veteran activist for economic justice. In this encore interview, he says that people are energized by a new vision of  America’s future, and progressive Democrats are ready to make it happen.   A’shanti Gholar Coming up, A’shanti Gholar takes Bill Press through the new landscape of women in public office.   Jim Hightower Beware of the Real Gremlins This Season

Voting for our Future.  Why climate change demands political change. plus how an education wave is fueling support for a blue wave. And Marc Morial of the National Urban League joins the Bill Press Show to talk about voter suppression what it will take to make sure every citizen has the opportunity to exercise their right to vote.   This week, science advocate  Carolyn Weinberg charts a path to avoid climate catastrophe .. and it begins with a vote.  Education advocate Jeff Bryant tells us why a record number of educators are running for office, and what they want. Plus … what will it take to shut down voter suppression? Marc Morial joins the Bill Press show.   Caroline Weinberg Caroline Weinberg is community organizer, educator, writer, and advocate for the future of our planet. She says that a new report on climate change makes an unequivocal demand.  We need every elected official to commit to action, and it’s up to every voter to make sure they do.   Jeff Bryant Jeff Bryant has written extensively about t

Money and Politics Gone Wrong.   Pulling back the curtain on the president’s tax fraud, and the destructive influence of “dark money” in campaign finance. Plus … why the GOP is to blame for a soaring deficit.   Investigative journalist David Cay Johnston gives us his read of the New York Times report on the Trump’s family taxes.   And filmmaker Kimberly Reed documents the truth on how American elections are bought and sold. Plus ...what will Republicans do about a ballooning budget deficit? Matt Fuller of the Huffington Post joins Bill Press.   David Cay Johnston Earlier this month, the New York Times published a bombshell investigation into Donald Trump’s finances and the many tax schemes he used to enhance his wealth. David Cay Johnston has been reporting on Donald Trump since the 1990s and has done exceptional reporting on the President’s taxes himself …  including a release of Trump’s 2005 tax return. He says the New York Times has created a roadmap on how to investigate the President … if the Democrats w

One Party .. two futures?  Between centralism and progressive populism, this election season lays  bare a faultline in Democratic Party politics. Which path is more likely to win in November and reclaim our nation’s future? Plus … what to make of the Kanye West at the White House.   The Third Way’s Jim Kessler argues for a  broad path to victory that includes mainstream centrism.  Roger Hickey of the Campaign for America’s Future on the grassroots movement for a progressive agenda that is reviving democratic politics.  Plus Brittany Shepherd joins the Bill Press show to decode the meeting between Kanye West and Donald Trump.   Jim Kessler Third Way is a national think tank that advocates center-left ideas and politics.  Co-founder Jim Kessler, says that centrist success in the primaries is one of the underreported stories this election season.   Roger Hickey The Campaign for America’s Future calls itself  the strategy center for the progressive movement. Co-founder Roger Hickey says that people all over the c

Julie Koehler examines the political realignment of white women voters.  Erik Loomis walks us through critical moments in our nation’s labor history and the strikes that defined them. And Kyle Kondik of Sabato’s Crystal Ball gives us his latest political forecast.   Julie Kohler Julie Kohler is a writer and social commentator who has been closely following the role of white women in electoral politics. She says that despite the fact that white women voters have leaned Republican for several decades, now is the time that may change.   Eric Loomis Historian Eric Loomis has an assignment for us.  If we truly want to understand the history of labor movements in the United States, look to the moments when workers went on strike. It’s a reminder he says that small groups of people can create radical change.   Kyle Kondik as we move into the final four weeks before the mid term elections, Kyle Kondik of Sabato’s Crystal Ball tells Bill Press why he thinks Democrats still have a chance to turn the House, but don’t co

Our Watergate moment, and how we can survive it. Plus, inside the movement to elect the president by a national popular vote.  And Bill Press on why organized labor matters now more than ever.   Sam Berger of the Center for American Progress draws the parallels between Richard Nixon and Donald Trump, and asks us to take a lesson from how the nation recovered from Watergate. Karen Hobert Flynn, the President of Common Cause, explains why a national popular vote is a better way to pick the next president. And Bill Press talks with Iron Workers general president Eric Dean.   Sam Berger In the wake of Watergate, a wave of reforms were ushered in to repair a dysfunctional government and regain the public’s  trust in its leaders. Sam Berger is a policy analyst who says that moment in history has much to offer in the modern day.   Karen Hobert Flynn Karen Hobert Flynn leads one of the nation’s leading organizations dedicated to strengthening democracy. That’s why she says it’s time for the nation to change the way w

A life-long Republican offers a ruthless takedown of President Trump.  Our interview with GOP strategist Rick Wilson. Plus, Bill Press talks with NBC Political Reporter Alex Seitz-Wald about Andrew Gillum’s surprise win in Florida.   Author Rick WIlson on his new book  “Everything Trump Touches Dies: A Republican Strategist Gets Real About the Worst President Ever.” Plus, Bill Press with NBC’s Alex Seitz-Wald on what’s next in Florida’s race for governor.   Rick Wilson - Part 1 The presidency of Donald Trump has brought discord to a party known for its political discipline as critics within the GOP take aim at a President they feel is destroying their party. Among them is Rick Wilson.  Never one to mince words, his new book is a scathing critique of Donald Trump.   Rick Wilson - Part 2 Still with us is Rick Wilson, author of  “Everything Trump Touches Dies: A Republican Strategist Gets Real About the Worst President Ever.”    Alex Seitz-Wald Bill Press talks with NBC Political Reporter Alex Seitz-Wald about A

The Fall of Wisconsin: How a once progressive state became a conservative stronghold, and what it means for progressive politics today. Plus, Evan McMorris-Santoro, filling in for Bill Press, talks with Vox reporter Dara Lind about the future of Jeff Session and Donald Trump.       Dark money, gerrymandering and the failure of centrism in the Midwest.  Author Dan Kaufman on his book “The Fall of Wisconsin: The Conservative Conquest of a Progressive Bastion and the Future of American Politics.”  Plus, The Bill Press Show on what could be in store for Attorney General Jeff Sessions.   Dan Kaufman Part 1 In 2016, Donald Trump became the first Republican nominee to carry the state since 1984.  How did that happen? Dan Kaufman is a native of Wisconsin and has covered its politics for years. In his recent book, he follows Wisconsin’s political journey from blue to red. It’s a story that goes back to the mid 1800s.   Dan Kaufman Part 2 Still with us is Dan Kaufman, author of  “The Fall of Wisconsin: The Conservative

Building a progressive populist movement and what that means for rural and small town America.  Plus, Bill Press digs into last week’s primary races with Adam Wollner from McClatchy News.   Activist Adam Kruggel of People’s Action on building a powerful and progressive populist movement and why his organization is turning to rural and small town American to get it done. Plus Bill Press talks with McClatchy’s Adam Wollner on “making history” and biggest takeaways from the latest primary races.   Adam Kruggel Part 1 Adam Kruggel is dedicated to power for marginalized communities.  He says that this a critical moment to build a kind of populism movement that is multiracial, race conscious and boldly progressive.   Adam Kruggel Part 2 Still with us  is Adam Kruggel, Director of Strategic Initiative at People’s Action. The organization recently issued a report titled “The Promise of a Progressive Populist Movement.”  The report is a result of of thousands of interviews with people in rural and small town America.

The promise of The American Dream for everyone. The inclusive populism of Robert Kennedy,  and what leaders are doing today to make a better life possible for all.   This week, Scholar Richard Kahlenberg on what progressive democrats can learn from Robert Kennedy about economic populism and race.  Author Ben Hecht on what’s actually working to close America’s racial equity divide. Plus, Bill Press talks insider trading and politicians caught on tape with political reporter Mat Laslo   Richard Kahlenberg Fifty years ago, Robert Kennedy ran an economically populist campaign that reached across America’s deep racial divide. Richard Kahlenberg says his legacy matters now more than ever.   Ben Hecht Ben Hecht has spent decades exploring strategies to combat racial disparities in wealth and income. His new book offers a blueprint on how to do just that.     Matt Laso Insider trading.  Nunes caught on tape. Omarosa’s new book. Coming up, Bill Press talks with reporter Matt Laso.   Jim Hightower America's War

Bringing truth back to politics.  What the news media gets wrong about the labor movement.  What politicians get wrong about science.   Author Christopher Martin truth squads corporate media on unions. Caroline Weinberg of ”March for Science” says a vote for science is a vote for the common good. Plus, Bill Press talks with Kelly Dietrich, founder of the National Democratic Training Committee.     Caroline Weinberg The role of science in public policy has taken a back seat at best in the Trump Administration.  Caroline Weinberg says science is vital to a working democracy and it’s time that voters take a stand   Christopher Martin Christopher Martin has spent countless hours absorbing how  journalists cover labor unions. He says that by appealing to consumers over citizens,  American media is missing the true story about the working class.   Kelly Dietrich How can we empower more democrats to step up and win elections? Bill Press talks with Kelly Dietrich of the National Democratic Training Committee.   Jim H

The war on poverty is far from over. So what should we do now?  The fallacy of “work requirements” for the poor. The possibility of a maximum wage for the rich.  Plus Bill Press talks with Ben Wikler, Washington Director of MoveOn.Org.     Elizabeth Lower-Basch of the Center for Law and Social Policy explains why work requirements don’t work for people receiving federal assistance.  Author Sam “Pizzigati makes a case for a maximum wage. Plus, Bill Press talks with Ben Wikler of MoveOn.Org about the grassroots movement to elect progressive democrats.   Elizabeth Lower-Basch Despite a recent decision in Kentucky to block work requirements for Medicaid patients, the Trump Administration remains intent in pursuing the policy. Elizabeth Lower-Basch has a long history inside and outside of government figuring out the best ways to assist struggling families.  In this encore interview, she says that “work requirements” for people on public assistance is exactly not the way to help.   Sam Pizzigati Income inequality i