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Rediscovering the Declaration of Independence. Turning the corner on the death penalty. Plus Bill Press with Mark Pocan, Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.   Democracy theorist Danielle Allen on why a call to equality is at the core of the American idea and its founding document. Author and attorney Bill Blum on the significance of California’s moratorium on the death penalty. And Wisconsin Representative Mark Pocan tells Bill Press why he is calling for an impeachment inquiry   Danielle Allen As the nation celebrates Memorial Day, Princeton Professor Danielle Allen examines the power of words in the Declaration of Independence to bring us liberty AND equality.   Bill Blum Back in March, California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom issued a moratorium on death penalties in that state. Bill Blum is  an award-winning writer and legal journalist, and at one time was one of California's best-known death-penalty litigators. He says  Governor Newsom’s decision could have tremendous national impact.   Ma

The Bigger Story.  Moving past stereotypes of Appalachia. Correcting the history of FDR’s New Deal. And Rep. Al Green joins Bill Press for a rundown of the Presidents impeachable offences.   What Hillbilly Elegy got wrong about Appalachia. Plus, the myths and realities about the New Deal,  and its lessons for the Green New Deal. And Congressman Al Green joins Bill Press to talk about his call for Donald Trump’s impeachment. Louis Hyman The conservative story about the New Deal is that it was tax-and-spend liberalism at its worst.  Louis Hyman reminds us that isn’t how it worked and the real story has valuable lessons for the Green New Deal. Anthony Harkins The book Hillbilly Elegy became a literary phenomenon that many relied on to understand the white working class voters who helped elect Donald Trump. Anthony Harkins says Hillbilly Elegy reinforces simplistic stereotypes that can be used for political gain, and his newest book is a powerful response. Al Green Representative Al Green tells Bill Press about w

Standing for all Americans.  Challenging the citizenship question and fighting for the rights of felons to vote.  And the Bill Press Show gets an update on the effort to arm teachers in Florida..   How a question about citizenship on the census is a war on immigrants. Plus, the racist roots of denying felons the right to vote. And the Bill Press show on the latest  efforts in Florida to allow teachers to carry guns in the classroom.   Bill Blum The Supreme Court's decision on the census could alter the American political landscape. And while immigrants are the target, Bill Blum says it’s a decision that will affect every American.   Tierra Bradford The history of denying felons the right to vote is rooted in the history of African American voter suppression. And while restoring that right is gaining traction in the 2020 campaign,  Tierra Bradford says many Democratic hopefuls still don’t get the point.   Addy Baird Addy Baird joins the Bill Press show to talk about teachers with guns in the classroom, and why

The Future of Voting.  Breaking the grip of partisan gerrymandering. Expanding the power of youth.  And Bill Press on “The Democracy Fix”   The unprecedented precision of modern day gerrymandering and how activists are fighting back. The argument for lowering the voting age to 16. Plus, Bill Press with Caroline Fredrickson on her new book The Democracy Fix: How to Win the Fight for Fair Rules, Fair Courts and Fair Elections.   Dan Vicuna The fight to end gerrymandering is a fight for fair elections that represent the will of the people.  Common Cause is at the forefront of the fight with a case in the Supreme Court that Dan Vicuna says could end partisan gerrymandering nationwide.   Mike Males From climate change to guns  to racial inequality, young people are fighting for their future. Mike Males says lowering the voting age will bring essential new voices to public life.   Caroline Fredrickson Bill Press talks with Caroline Fredrickson on her new book The Democracy Fix: How to Win the Fight for Fair Rules,

Democracy in crisis and how to repair the damage.  Plus, making the case for an impeachment investigation.  And Bill Press on America’s best and worst presidents.   Why over 100 organizations have signed on to a Declaration for Democracy. Plus,  a political historian on Donald Trump’s chances in 2020 and why an impeachment investigation is still a good idea.  And Bill Press with Brian Lamb on ranking the nation’s chief executive.   Lisa Gilbert Our nation’s democracy is in crisis,  and Lisa Gilbert says it’s time for an “arms race for reform” to save it. That’s why her organization and over one hundred others have signed onto a declaration to restore democratic values to American politics and government.   Allan Lichtman Political historian Allan Lichtman’s system has successfully predicted the outcome of every presidential election from 1984 to 2016. And while it’s too early to predict 2020, he can say don’t rule anyone out, including President Trump.   Brian Lamb Bill Press with C-Span’s Brian Lamb on his n

State of Resistance.  The transformation of California and a roadmap for America’s Future. Plus Bill Press  And Bill Press with a Mueller Report redaction reaction.   The rise, fall and resurgence of progressive movements in California, and the lessons for our entire nation. And Bill Press with the Guardian’s Lauren Gambino covering the Mueller investigation and the ever growing field of Democratic Presidential candidates.   Manuel Pastor Pt. 1 Decades ago, California experienced the political and social shifts that now grip the nation. In his newest book, sociologist  Manuel Pastor tells the story of how California fought back, and offers a compelling and hopeful vision for a necessary political renewal that meets the needs of a more diverse America.   Manuel Pastor Pt. 2 We’re talking with Manuel Pastor, Distinguished Professor of Sociology and American Studies & Ethnicity at the University of Southern California and author of “State of Resistance: What California’s Dizzying Descent and Remarkable Resur

Building the progressive vision. Stopping the war on immigrants. Demanding the right to vote. Plus Bill Press on how to defeat the NRA.   Laying out a positive, progressive vision on immigration policy. Plus, the long history of voter suppression in America and how to fight back. And Bill Press talks with author Igor Volsky about building a future with fewer guns.   Tom Jawetz As President Trump continues his attack on immigrants and American values, the role of Democrats in Congress couldn’t be more important. With a deep history in immigration law and policy, Tom Jawetz outlines the priorities  for an immigration system that truly lives up to our nation’s ideals and actually works.   Allan Lichtman Allan Lichtman has spent four decades fighting for the right to vote.  His latest book is a sweeping history of voter suppression in America that begins with the founding of our nation.   Igor Volsky Bill Press with author Igor Volsky on his radical argument for the gun control movement our country desperately ne

Rethinking Capitalism.  The limits of greed. How the American dream became temporary. Plus Bill Press with Congressman Ruben Gallego.   A history of the gig economy and the rise and fall of secure work. Plus, why America needs a new social contract between business and society. And Bill Press talks border politics with Congressman Ruben Gallego.   Louis Hyman In his newest book, labor historian Louis Hyman the tells the story of America’s transformation to a temp economy and why he calls it the moral crisis of work in the 21st century.   Steven Pearlstein At a time when American capitalism leaves more and more people behind, many question if it is worth saving. Steven Pearlstein is one of our nation’s leading economists. In his newest book, he argues for return to the core value of shared prosperity if capitalism is to sustain over the long term.   Ruben Gallego Bill Press with  AZ Congressman Ruben Gallego on the absurdity of  President Trump’s wall and his “national emergency” at the border.   Jim Hightower

Nurses take a stand for Medicare for All.  Plus, the return of socialist fear- mongering. And Bill Press gets a report card on the media’s coverage of the Mueller investigation.   Why the nation's largest union of registered nurses is fighting for single payer health care. Plus, why conservatives are so quick to cry socialism. And Bill Press on journalism and the Mueller investigation.  No apologies needed.   Malinda Markowitz Nurses are on the front line of medical care in our nation.  And from that position, they see the failure of a system that leaves millions uninsured. Malinda Markowitz explains why Medicare for All is such a personal issue for nurses and why they are campaigning to insure all Americans.   Chuck Collins Chuck Collins is a leading voice on inequality in America. He says that years of a right wing drift in American politics means that even the most popular strategies for leveling the playing field get labeled socialist today, and democracy is paying the price.   Parker Molloy Bill Press wi

Standing up for jobs and democracy. Preventing another Lordstown shutdown, and paving the way for a national popular vote. Plus Bill Press on rigging the system in higher education.   How smart policy could have saved the Lordstown plant in Ohio.  Plus what it would take to end the electoral college. And Bill Press on how to pay for college if you don’t have a really wealthy parent.   Michael Shields When GM closed its plant in Lordstown Plant in Ohio, 1400 workers lost their jobs. Michael Shields say public policy is part of  why that happened, and that better policy is needed to protect workers.   John Koza John Koza was so convinced a national popular vote was the best way to elect a president in the United States, he can up with a plan to make it happen. It’s called the National Popular Vote legislation. Now he’s convinced that enough states will adopt the legislation to make it happen.   Colleen Campbell Bill Press with Colleen Campbell, Director of Postsecondary Education at the Center for American Prog

A new playing field. Fighting the good fight for health care justice. Closing the gap in company pay. Plus Bill Press on “Billionaire Boondoggle”.   The grassroots labor movement for Medicare-for-All. Plus, is it time to talk about a maximum wage?  And Bill Press on the power of the billionaire class.   Mike Dudzic The Labor Campaign for Single-Payer Health Care believes that health care is a fundamental human right. National Coordinator Mark Dudzic says it’s up to unions to take the lead and fix our broken health care system.   Larry Hanley By the most recent estimate, the average CEO in the United States earns an average of 271 times that of a typical worker. Our next guest says it’s time to change that with an idea that is rooted in American history.   Pat Garafalo Living in the billionaire age. Bill Press talks with Pat Garafalo on his new book “Billionaire Boondoggle” .   Jim Hightower Corporations are playing with our food – and our heads  

Revitalizing the American Dream. From America’s classrooms to the global economy. Plus Bill Press with Representative Dan Kildee ( D-MI).   How teachers are seizing the reins for accountability in the charter school movement.  How economic populists are reclaiming a progressive space in the global economy. Plus, challenging presidential authority and restoring integrity to American government. Bill Press talks with Representative Dan Kildee.   Jeff Bryant When thousands of teachers went on strike in Los Angeles, it signaled a wave. Journalist Jeff Bryant says there is a growing movement of public school teachers confronting a privatized charter school industry that operates at the expense of public schools.   Robert Kuttner Against the backdrop of right wing nationalism and Wall Street globalism, leading social critic and author Robert Kuttner speaks to the good news. He says  a new brand politics is gaining ground with the progressive promise of economic populism.   Dan Kildee Bill Press talks with Represent

Defending Democracy in 2020. The fight against disinformation in elections, and restoring a commitment to global human rights.   What Democrats need to do to protect our elections from disinformation, bots and hacking. And what every presidential candidate should do to protect human rights. Plus, Bill Press  on President Trump’s chaotic foreign policy. Simon Rosenberg Trolls, bots and deep fakes are dangerous realities in our current political landscape that poison our discourse and weaken our democracy.  Simon Rosenberg has spent years understanding and fighting these threats, and he says the power is in our hands to stop them.   Aryeh Neier Aryeh Neier is a leading figure in the modern day human rights movement. He says that  the United States has an essential role to play on the global stage, and it’s time to renew our commitment.   Nahaal Toosi Bill Press talks with Politico Foreign Affairs correspondent Nahaal Toosi about  Donald Trump’s dysfunctional foreign policy and how it all got started.   Jim High

Rural America Fights Back.  Striking for the future of public education, and challenging the power of Big Ag. Plus, Bill Press with Sabina Singh, Deputy Communications Director for the Democratic National Committee on a historic field of candidates.   This week, how rural teachers are driving a movement for change. How progressive Democrats can win the rural vote by taking on the grip of corporate money.  Plus, Bill Press talks with Sabina Singh, Deputy Communications Director for the Democratic National Committee...   Erin McHenry Sorber Erin McHenry Sorber studies the roots and the impact of teachers’ strikes. As teachers across the country are fighting the underfunding of public education, she says the impact in rural America couldn’t be more critical.   Claire Kelloway Claire Kelloway has a deep history in writing about food, power and politics. She says agricultural monopolies are driving farmers out of business, and the ball is in the Democrat’s court to respond.   Sabina Singh Coming up, Bill Press tal

Walls Don’t Work.  Social Security Does. Plus Bill Press with Congressman Earl Blumenauer.   Everything Donald Trump gets wrong about the Great Wall of China, plus everything Progressive Democrats get right about Social Security expansion.  And Bill Press talks with Representative Earl Blumenauer about why he refused to show up for the State of the Union.   Adam Smith President Trump often sites The Great Wall of China as evidence that a wall  will solve our immigration problems. Our first guest says it’s a claim that history cannot support.   Eric Kingson Progressive Democrats in Congress are lining up to back the first big expansion to  Social Security since the 1970s. Our next guest says it’s a fight that couldn’t come at a better time.   Earl Blumenauer Bill Press talks with Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer about the State of the Union address we should have heard.   Jim Hightower What’s behind this photo of corporate groundbreaking?  

Holding Power Accountable. Restoring the right to vote and curbing corporate greed. Plus Bill Press  on the 2020 contenders to retake the White House.   How New York made voting rights history, plus the movement  to give workers a say in how how their companies are run. And Bill Press talks with national politics reporter Hanna Trudo on the democrats lining up for 2020 and why Howard Schultz is making everyone so mad.   Julie Kerr The state of New York is moving on a series of bills that will fundamentally change the way New York residents vote. Julie Kerr is an activist fighting for  voting reform, and she says the latest victory was decades in the making.   Glenn Daigon What would happen if employees had a direct say and democratic say in how their companies are run?  Reporter Glenn Daigon says it’s idea that is gaining support.   Hanna Trudo Bill Press talks with Hanna Trudo, National Politics Reporter at the National Journal   Jim Hightower What’s the cost of high living?  

This week, nine years into Citizens United, how to turn it around. Plus, an update on the campaign to protect the census from a citizenship question.  And the Bill Press Show with a reality check on border security and why walls don’t work.   Joe Ready We start this week’s show with an anniversary.  Nine years ago, the Supreme Court made its decision on Citizens United.  Joe Ready leads a campaign to overturn the decision and put an end to what he calls the “big money arms race.”   Dale Ho The President remains intent on adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census.  The ACLU sued the administration to stop this plan. Our next guest explains why his organization made that move and how his organization will continue  to fight back.   Molly O’Toole Bill Press talks with Molly O’Toole of the Los Angeles Times for an update on the so called “crisis on the border.”   Jim Hightower The wall we need to build  

The final hours of Martin Luther King Junior. The progressive promise of a People’s Budget. Plus a compelling call for Medicare for all.   An author explores the final hours of Martin Luther King, Jr. and what more we can do to fulfill his vision. Plus,  a “people’s budget” for economic justice. And the Bill Press Show on how to guarantee healthcare for all Americans.   Christopher Cook Every year, the Congressional Progressive Caucus puts forth “the People’s Budget.” It’s a roadmap to meeting the economic needs of all Americans. Our next guest explains why they do it and what’s in it.   Joseph Rosenbloom This week, Americans once again join together in the annual commemoration of Martin Luther King, Jr.   In 1968, King arrived in Memphis Tennessee hoping to galvanize a movement for economic equality. One journalist took on the task by writing a vivid account of his final hours.  In this encore interview, author Joseph Rosenbloom takes us along on his journey.   Rebecca Vallas Bill Press talks to Rebecca Vall

What to fight for and what to fight against. The Green New Deal, a new NAFTA deal, plus Bill Press with Jim Yarmuth on the politics of the government shutdown and what it will take to stop it.   Why progressive democrats must fight for a better NAFTA deal. Why labor unions should fight for the Green New Deal. Plus, Bill Press on the wall, the shutdown, medicare for all, and more with  Representative Jim Yarmuth. Lori Wallach Sometime later this year NAFTA 2.0, the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement is expected to go into effect. Is it better than the old NAFTA? Lori Wallach is a 25-year veteran of congressional trade battles starting with the 1990s fight over NAFTA. She says the new deal has a long way to go to repair the damage of the first.   Jeremy Brecher Our next guest works at the intersection between labor and social movements. He says that what Roosevelt’s New Deal did for working Americans can happen again with the Green New Deal.   John Yarmuth Coming up, Bill Press talks with Representative John Yarmuth ab

The science of electoral reform and what it matters for democracy and environmental justice. Plus Bill Press on  who can beat Donald Trump in 2020.   What science has to teach us about fair elections and expanded voting rights. Plus what Democrats will do differently this time in the 2020 race for President.   Michael Latner - Pt. 1 Our guest this week looks at democracy as an engineering problem and says that the“science of elections” is an essential tool in making it work.   Michael Latner - Pt. 2 Still with us is Michael Latner of the Union of Concerned Scientists where he is the first scientist to receive an electoral system science fellowship under their Kendall Science Fellow program.   Xochitl  Hinojosa Bill Press talks with Xochitl  Hinojosa , Communications Director at the Democratic National Committee about their strategy to win back the White House.   Jim Hightower Should you have to pay to protest?