Today at 4pm Pacific on 'Living in the USA': Texas Republicans — and Trump: Harold Meyerson @prospect.org comments – on @kpfk.bsky.social Radio 90.7 FM and online kpfk.org

Bill Gates: from America's youngest billionaire, to most hated man in the US, to the biggest philanthropist & the world’s most admired man—then we learned of his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Ben Tarnoff explains – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4dQEyIE

Q: How many lawsuits have you filed against Trump? A: We’re up around 40 right now. Q: That’s more than one a month. A: We’re trying to get up to one a week. Rob Weissman @publiccitizen.bsky.social – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4dQEyI

The Transformations of Bill Gates: From early tech giant to philanthro-capitalist to the world of Jeffrey Epstein – Ben Tarnoff tells that story in @nybooks.com & on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4dQEyIE – transcript here bit.ly/4wWXOwY

Stopping Trump’s $1.8 billion slush fund - and other key lawsuits: Rob Weissman of @publiccitizen.bsky.social explains – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4dQEyIE – transcript here bit.ly/4wWXOwY

Tracing Bill Gates from software to philanthropy to the world of Jeffrey Epstein – Ben Tarnoff tells that story in @nybooks.com & on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4dQEyIE%E2%8... transcript here bit.ly/4wWXOwY

Stopping Trump’s Slush Fund: "If the money is to be paid to insurrectionists, that would be unconstitutional. Trump himself is arguably an insurrectionist" – Rob Weissman @publiccitizen.bsky.social on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4dQEyIE – transcript here bit.ly/4wWXOwY

Trump’s billion-dollar ballroom is a familiar kind of corruption, but his slush fund to pay the groups that commit violence in his name is an unprecedented attack on democracy: Rob Weissman of @publiccitizen.bsky.social explains – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4dQEyIE

How "the Gates Foundation is a leading exemplar of what some people call 'philanthro-capitalism,' which is this effort to apply the methods of free enterprise to the problem of poverty" – Ben Tarnoff in @nybooks.com & on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4dQEyIE

Co-founder of the States Project and author of "The Fourth Branch" – Daniel Squadron on how states are the best check on Trump – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4uXYccF @statesprojectus.bsky.social

Midterms 2026 — only 6 months to go – could Trump bring peace to the Middle East, lower gas prices & end inflation of food costs by then? John Nichols @nicholsuprising.bsky.social comments—on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4uXYccF

On Trump's 28% approval on cost of living – "Carville was right, it’s the economy, stupid" – John Nichols @nicholsuprising.bsky.social – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4uXYccF

How @StatesProjectUS works for candidates for state legislatures to knock on doors of voters instead of raising money for TV ads — co-founder Daniel Squadron – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4uXYccF

The primary elections results last week show the success of Trump's revenge campaign — and the limits of that campaign – Harold Meyerson @prospect.org comments – on 'Living in the USA' @kpfk.bsky.social bit.ly/3PBrpeC

Q: State legislatures have a lot of power. How much power do they have? A: "More than just about any of your listeners could possibly imagine" Daniel Squadron @statesprojectus.bsky.social on how states are the best check on Trump – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4uXYccF

2026 is shaping up as a strikingly good year for the Democrats: John Nichols @nicholsuprising.bsky.social reports —on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4uXYccF

What is to be done now — to counter Donald Trump? Daniel Squadron @statesprojectus.bsky.social – and author of "The Fourth Branch" – argues that state governments provide the key check on Trump – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4uXYccF

The Most Unpopular Thing in America Right Now: Trump's Billion Dollar Ballroom – 68% of adults say they oppose spending taxpayer money on it – even for the security updates – Harold Meyerson @prospect.org comments – on 'Living in the USA' @kpfk.bsky.social bit.ly/4tTxbX3

Winning State Legislatures: "The reason Republicans and conservatives have overperformed in states for the last 50 years is they made the choice to overperform in states." – Daniel Squadron @statesprojectus.bsky.social – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4uXYccF

Q: Dare we hope that the Democrats could elect a senator in Texas — for the first time in 40 years? A: "I think yes, you dare." — John Nichols @nicholsuprising.bsky.social explains – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4uXYccF

How state governments provide the key check on Trump – Daniel Squadron @statesprojectus.bsky.social explains – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4uXYccF

Bad News for Trump, Good News for Dems: On Trump's 28% approval on cost of living – "Carville was right, it’s the economy, stupid" – John Nichols @nicholsuprising.bsky.social – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4uXYccF

6 months until the midterms: Trump could bring peace to the Middle East, lower gas prices & end inflation of food costs. Do you think Trump will change between now and the midterms? John Nichols @nicholsuprising.bsky.social comments—on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4uXYccF

How Trump "wants to take power from states if it can undermine our democracy" & "give power back to states that undermine our democracy"—but winning state legislatures can save our union— Daniel Squadron @statesprojectus.bsky.social explains—on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4uXYccF

Winning Midterm Elections: John Nichols @nicholsuprising.bsky.social on how 2026 is shaping up as a strikingly good year for the Democrats – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4uXYccF

Key line of defense against Trump: state legislatures. Key states for upcoming elections: Daniel Squadron @statesprojectus.bsky.social – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4uXYccF

How the gold-plated Trump smartphone went from “proudly designed and built in the US" to “designed with American values in mind” to not yet available—thanks to @hcrichardson.bsky.social for reminding us of this story— Harold Meyerson comments—on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4ttT3bb

Only 45% of Americans think the last assassination attempt on Trump was real; 24% say it was staged, 32% say they aren’t sure – illustrative of how "Trump has so normalized lying" – Harold Meyerson @prospect.org on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4ttT3bb

The Antisemitism Awareness Act gives the example: “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis" but Rand Paul says “criticism of Israel is not antisemitic" & @sanders.senate.gov agrees—Adam Hochschild comments—on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4ttT3bb

Is the American defeat in Iran worse than Vietnam? Robert Kagan said yes, “the United States is facing a setback so decisive that it will be a strategic loss that cannot be repaired.” Harold Meyerson @prospect.org comments – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4ttT3bb

“Here, where we live, is our country” – in pre-war Europe 100,000 Eastern European Jews joined the Bund, an organization that opposed Zionism – the subject of a new book by @mollycrabapple.bsky.social – Adam Hochschild comments – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4ttT3bb

Why Democrats could win this November: "historically, even apart from the question of the performance... midterm elections always favor the party out of power" – Harold Meyerson @prospect.org – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4ttT3bb

Democrats still have a clear path to winning control of the House this November – Harold Meyerson @prospect.org comments – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4ttT3bb

Jewish Anti-Zionism: The Bund in prewar Europe – and a new book about them: “Here, where we live, is our country” by @mollycrabapple.bsky.social – Adam Hochschild discusses @nybooks.com – and on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4ttT3bb @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social

"The Iranian episode is kind of the icing on the cake of Trump's war on American hegemony" – and other reasons Trump remains so unpopular – even with Republicans – Harold Meyerson on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4ttT3bb

Despite the end of voting rights by SCOTUS, Dems remain strong favorites to retake the House in November – Harold Meyerson @prospect.org comments – on 'Living in the USA' @kpfk.bsky.social bit.ly/4dfzCOF

Today at 4pm Pacific on 'Living in the USA': After one of the roughest weeks for Democrats since Trump won in 2024: @HaroldMeyerson @TheProspect comments – on @KPFK Radio 90.7 FM and online kpfk.org

Only 45% of Americans think the last assassination attempt on Trump was real; 24% say it was staged, 32% say they aren’t sure – illustrative of how "Trump has so normalized lying" – Harold Meyerson @prospect.org on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4ttT3bb

Jewish Anti-Zionism: "In a sense, yes, the Zionists won. They created a state in Israel. But what kind of state?" Adam Hochschild on “Here, where we live, is our country” by @mollycrabapple.bsky.social – in @nybooks.com and on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4ttT3bb

Democrats After the Voting Rights Act: According to the @cookpolitical.com report, Democrats still have a clear path to winning control of the House this November – Harold Meyerson @prospect.org comments – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4ttT3bb

What if the US had never passed the Immigration Act of 1924? Adam Hochschild discusses that alternative history and, “Here, where we live, is our country” by @mollycrabapple.bsky.social – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4ttT3bb @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social

SCOTUS & Voting: "It’s infrequently that legislators say, 'I am doing this to prevent those people who have a different skin color than me from voting'—but in the Trump era they actually do that." Ian Bassin @protectdemocracy.org —on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4exfFUC

Despite the SCOTUS ruling on gerrymandering, Trump’s attacks on Democratic voting are not going to work—Ian Bassin @protectdemocracy.org on election protection—on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4exfFUC

Ian Bassin to American voters: "The way to turn the page on the Trump era is to show up in November" – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4exfFUC @apsa.bsky.social @protectdemocracy.org

Midterms Election Protection: Blue state attorneys general @agrobbonta.oag.ca.gov @tishjames.bsky.social @keithellison.bsky.social & many others have been preparing for this moment since Trump won in 2024 – Ian Bassin @protectdemocracy.org comments – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4exfFUC

Election Protect in the Courts: Among those working to protect voting rights on the litigation front are the @aclu.org @brennancenter.org & @legaldefensefund.bsky.social —Ian Bassin, co-founder @protectdemocracy.org on how they fit in —on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4exfFUC

"People who don’t normally think about or talk about politics... or might be disgusted... realize that the way to turn the page on the Trump era is to show up in November." Ian Bassin @protectdemocracy.org —on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4exfFUC

Ian Bassin @protectdemocracy.org on how we all can do our part to make elections "too big to rig" —on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4exfFUC

"Trump and his vision & his movement are losing. They are a sinking ship and they know it" —Ian Bassin @protectdemocracy.org on election protection and the importance of voting this November – on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4exfFUC

Trump "can’t dictate the rules of elections by himself, no matter how many words he puts on a piece of paper and calls an executive order"—Ian Bassin @protectdemocracy.org —on @thenation.com podcast bit.ly/4exfFUC