Legal and Political Context - The President's attempt to deploy the National Guard to Portland was challenged in court, with a judge initially blocking the deployment, stating the determination was "simply untethered to the facts" [1][2] - The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals granted an administrative stay, allowing the President to federalize Oregon's National Guard but barring deployment to Portland [3] - Concerns were raised about the dangerous precedent of deploying National Guard troops from different states against another state's will [9][10] Portland Situation and Response - Portland faces real challenges including crime, drug use, commercial vacancies, and homelessness [6] - The characterization of Portland as a "war ravaged city" or full of "insurrectionists" is considered absurd [7] - Oregon is experiencing a 51% reduction in violent crime since the beginning of the year [10] - The emphasis from city leaders is to avoid escalating the situation and not fall into a "trap" of violence [16] Broader Implications and Concerns - The President is accused of attacking an independent judiciary and the free press, using fear to intimidate people [18][19] - There are concerns about normalizing the use of the United States military on the streets, which is considered un-American [20][22] - The President's actions are seen as attacks on the pillars of democracy, requiring a firm stance against unconstitutional actions [20][21][22]

Government Shutdown & Healthcare Crisis - The report highlights a "Trump Republican shutdown" and emphasizes Democrats' willingness to negotiate to reopen the government and address the Republican healthcare crisis [3] - The report mentions Republicans canceled votes for multiple weeks, indicating disarray and unwillingness to address the crisis they allegedly created [3][4] - The report points out potential consequences of Republican actions, including the "largest cut to Medicaid in American history" and the closure of healthcare facilities [5] - The report states that tens of millions of Americans could face dramatically increased healthcare premiums, co-pays, and deductibles due to the refusal to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits [5] - The report claims that 93% of people benefiting from Affordable Care Act tax credits make $63,000 or less annually [11] - The report mentions a scenario where a couple making $88,000 per year could see their health insurance costs rise from $8,000 to $24,000 annually if tax credits expire [11][12] - The report indicates that the healthcare issue is a major point of contention in negotiations, with Democrats emphasizing its importance and some Republicans deeming it "extraneous" [14][15] - The report mentions that the average family will pay from $900 to $1,000 more a month in terms of their insurance [76] - The report indicates that an elderly couple, 55 years old, making $80,000, say $40,000 each a couple, you pay $25,000 more for your health insurance [77] Immigration Enforcement & Civil Liberties - The report raises concerns about the use of force by ICE agents, citing videos showing aggressive interactions with individuals and bystanders [24][25][26][27][28][29] - The report highlights incidents of ICE agents using tear gas in public areas and allegedly arresting a journalist [27][29][30] - The report suggests that ICE agents are demanding individuals prove their citizenship, raising concerns about civil liberties [37][38][39] - The report mentions claims that it is illegal to dox ICE agents, but clarifies that posting their identities online is not illegal unless it involves threats [40][41] - The report indicates that public approval of Trump's handling of immigration and the force used by ICE is declining, potentially due to the circulation of videos showing ICE actions [46] Political Climate & Justice Department - The report mentions the indictment of New York State Attorney General Leticia James and suggests it is a "malicious prosecution" driven by Donald Trump's "revenge tour" [19][20][21] - The report claims that Trump has weaponized the Justice Department, using it as a "personal attack dog," which is characteristic of dictatorships [92][93] - The report alleges that Trump replaced a prosecutor who refused to pursue the case against Leticia James, indicating political interference [94][96][97] - The report mentions that a university professor fled to Spain after receiving death threats following Trump's characterization of Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization [56][57] - The report describes Antifa as a loose, decentralized term for a movement opposing fascism, and argues that it is being used by the right to demonize a wide range of left-leaning causes and protesters [58][64][65][66][67][68]

For more on this, I'm joined by the friend of the show, Jason Stanley. He's a professor of philosophy and the chair in American studies at the Monk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. He's also the author of the remarkable book, Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future. Uh this is so central, Jason, to some of your work and some of your thinking that storytelling is such a powerful tool utilized by authoritarians. It is often more effective th ...

Narrative & Disinformation - The report highlights a dangerous new disinformation campaign originating from the White House, which plays a crucial role in accelerating authoritarianism [1] - The narrative being crafted portrays the radical left as inherently violent, dangerous, and illegitimate, justifying a power grab and crackdown on dissent [2][4] - This strategy involves recasting criticism, protest, and journalism as elements of a violent fringe movement, laying the groundwork for crackdowns [9] - The "radical left violence" narrative is being used to censor speech, ban commentators, prosecute opponents, and justify the monopolization of media [11] Political & Social Impact - The strategy aims to rationalize extraordinary measures to silence, monitor, or punish people on the left, turning radical left violence into a political weapon [8] - The White House has leaned on National Guard deployments in Democratic cities and flirted with invoking the Insurrection Act, casting dissent as war zones [16] - The report warns of a chilling effect on civil society, with some groups removing content from their websites and self-censoring due to the threat of defunding [22] - The label of "radical left" is expanding to include Republicans who've broken with Trump, Democrats, academics, reporters, lawyers, judges, and organizations focused on various rights [20] Targeting & Suppression - The White House and its allies are targeting cornerstone liberal funders and institutions, such as George Soros's Open Society Foundation and the Ford Foundation, with investigations and potential RICO charges [17] - The goal is to hobble the left's operating system by freezing funders and tying up grantees, starving the network of grant makers and nonprofits that support voting rights, immigrant legal aid, and other causes [18]

Core Argument - The report analyzes the principle of federalism in the US government and how the Trump administration's actions have challenged this balance of power between the federal government and individual states [1][2][3][4] - It highlights concerns about the consolidation of power within the executive branch and the potential erosion of states' rights [4] Historical Context - The US Constitution established a system of federalism to balance power between the federal government and the states, ensuring states' sovereignty while maintaining national unity [1] - The Federalist Papers, particularly Federalist Paper Number 47, emphasize the importance of dividing powers to prevent tyranny [1] Current Political Climate - The Trump administration is accused of using federal power to impose its ideology on states, particularly on issues like abortion, immigration, and voting rights [2] - Examples include attempts to pull funds from states that don't follow federal directives on DEI programs and efforts to influence the redrawing of congressional maps [2][3] Republican Stance on States' Rights - The report notes a shift in the Republican party's traditional stance on states' rights, with some Republicans prioritizing policy outcomes over the principle of federalism [7] - Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stit's criticism of deploying the Texas National Guard into Illinois is presented as an example of upholding federalism [5][6] Comparative Perspective - The US federal system is presented as a safeguard against authoritarianism, making it more difficult to centralize control compared to countries like Hungary, Israel, Poland, or Venezuela [12] - The delegation of powers to the states creates a "bull work" against federal overreach [12] Constitutional Crisis - The report suggests that the Trump administration's actions represent a fundamental challenge to the constitutional design of the US government, going beyond typical political disputes [9][19][20] - It argues that these actions are not merely "tweaking" the system but "redesigning" it [22]

The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments this week in a case that could disenfranchise voters even more than the current Republican redistricting frenzy. The case is just the latest in a series of attacks on the Voting Rights Act, which is known as one of the crown jewels of the Civil Rights Movement. The case, Louisiana versus Cala, challenges a congressional map that Louisiana adopted in 2024 to comply with the Voting Rights Act. That map created two majority black districts. Now, it's hard to see ...

What happens when the dystopian future imagined by George Orwell in the 1940s shows up in real life? The new documentary Orwell 2 plus 2 equals 5 attempts to answer that question. The film is directed by Raul Peek and produced by the acclaimed Alex Gibney and it premiered at the Can Film Festival this May. The audience was visibly shaken. LA Times staff writer Josh Rottenberg writes, quote, "The crowd reacted with the startled tension of a horror scraping screening, gasps, murmurss, a few cries before final ...

I did not get to watch SNL, so I have to watch it later. But apparently it's very I've missed some stuff. We have some stuff for folks.I want to play um Christy Gnomes. Tina Fay as Christy Gnomes her advertisement for Ice. Do you need a job now.Yeah. Are you a big tough guy. Yeah.Tough enough for the army or police. No. But do you take supplements that you bought at a gas station.Daily. Do you like to use zip ties because people in your life don't trust you with keys. You know it.Then buckle up and slap on ...

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. Senator, thanks for being with us, Reverend. It's good to be with you once again.Now, we we're in day 11 of this government shutdown. Speaker Johnson has said the House will not convene next week. Can you update us on what, if any, progress is being made this weekend and opening the government back up.Well, look, uh, Rev, the the Republicans are feeling the heat. There are four reasons, but above all is healthcare. We have a health care crisis in ...

Joining us now, Illinois Attorney Generalwami Raul, who has said Trump's deployment troop troop deployments in his state are not legally justified. Attorney General, thanks for joining us this morning. Let's just let's start with uh your reaction to the appeals court ruling.Well, we're obviously pleased. We don't want um the National Guard on on our streets. Um uh the the court's ruling um denied uh a request for emergency uh stay for administrative stay on deployment which uh while the while they allowed f ...