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Most political reporting has been about Democrats’ chances of taking control of Congress, but the Governors’ races hold the key to election protection in the 2028 presidential vote. Harold Meyerson explains, and examines the contest now underway in Nevada. Harold is Editor-at-Large of The American Prospect. Also: The real threat of AI is not the destruction of humanity, but rather replacing human labor with machines—that’s what Garrison Lovely argues. He’s the author of Obsolete: The AI Industry’s Trillion Dollar Race to Replace Us—and How to Stop It. Plus: John Berger, author of the classic “Ways of Seeing,” was more than a Marxist art critic. On the 100th anniversary of his birth, John Powers comments on his life and work—both of which were extraordinary. John is critic-at-large on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

The big question about the midterms — control of the Senate. Statistician and political analyst Nate Silver estimated the Democrats winning the Senate at 74%. Harold Meyerson comments Also: Our right to peaceful protest is under assault. To save it, we need to “respect it, defend it, and more than anything – use it.” that’s what Annie Leonard says - she’s a longtime activist who spent 17 years with Greenpeace USA, then she helped launch the Jane Fonda Climate PAC. And she’s co-author of the new book, “Protest.” Plus: The secret history of the Koch Brothers: how the key to their empire, and their fortune, is a refinery south of St. Paul. “Kochland” author Christopher Leonard has that story (originally recorded 5/28/2020).

Leah Greenberg, co-executive director of Indivisible, answers the question, “What’s the Plan – for the next No Kings Nationwide Day of Action?” This one shifts from mass protest in the streets to organizing for early voting – and preparing for whatever Trump does to disrupt or undermine the vote, the count, and the certification. Also: The Supreme Court last Friday issued an order allowing states to use Trump’s SAVE database to purge their voter rolls of people the DHS considers ineligible – but it’s too late to apply to the midterms. Rick Hasen explains – he teaches law at UCLA and he’s Director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project and editor of the Election Law Blog. Plus: Your Minnesota Moment: Trump's TEN-billion dollar announcement about Minnesota iron and steel: he said that ore processed in Minnesota, with a TEN-billion dollar loan from the Trump administration, is to be moved to Iowa to support Iowa Republicans, throwing Minnesota Republicans overboard.

The primary force behind the settlement that will allow Trump’s allies at Paramount to take over Warners-Discovery and CNN was Gavin Newsom, who pressured California Attorney General Rob Bonta to end the anti-trust fight defending media independence. Norm Eisen explains – he’s co-founder and executive chair of the Democracy Defenders Fund and Democracy Defenders Action, and, the New York Times reported, “the leader of a coalition of entertainment and news industry professionals who opposed the deal.” Also: After Trump banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House newsroom, the TV networks united in refusing coverage of his events – including Fox News. John Nichols has our analysis. Plus: Your Minnesota Moment: Minnesota has joined the national popular vote interstate compact — that's a way to assure that the presidential candidate who gets the most votes nationwide is elected president. The compact has been enacted into law by 19 states with 220 electoral votes; we need 48 more in 2027 in order to mqke the 2028 presidential election the first where the national popular vote will determine the president.

To win control of the Senate in the midterms, the Democrats need to hold all of the seats they have and flip 4 to get to 51 – but, the wild card Dem that is John Fetterman of Pennsylvania means the Dems really need 5 to get to 52 – how and where might the Democrats win those seats? Harold Meyerson comments. Only two Justices backed Trump in the Court’s ruling blocking his efforts to enlist the postal service in restricting voting by mail in the midterms. David Cole explains why this is a huge victory, but far from the end of Trump’s efforts to undermine Democratic voting. Also: The blue state attorneys general have succeeded in blocking the efforts of Trump’s allies at Paramount-Skydance from taking over Warners-Discovery, at least for now, but their lawsuit followed months of protests organized by, among others, Jane Fonda’s Committee for the First Amendment. Rashad Robinson has our analysis – his new book is From Presence to Power: How to take on the Fights that Matter – and Win.

The Republicans held their midterm convention in Dallas, TX on Wednesday and Thursday, which, featured Trump talking for two hours about the "increasingly fictitious" achievements of the GOP – Harold Meyerson comments. Also: Is the resistance to data centers a new kind of mass politics? David Wallace-Wells explains why the answer is “yes.” He’s a writer for The New York Times Opinion pages and author of the unforgettable book “The Uninhabitable Earth.” Plus: Skye Perryman discusses her New York Times Bestselling "Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times" – now available in paperback just in time for the midterms. The book is recommended by Dolores Huerta, Stacey Abrams, Hillary Clinton and Willy Nelson – and there is a website full of resources for everyone: https://ordinarypeopleaction.com/

The political surprise of 2026: the movement to block AI data centers – it's popular among both Democrats and Republicans at the grassroots. But, in many places the building trade unions are opposing that movement – they want to build those data centers – and in some places, Democratic political candidates are standing with those unions. Harold Meyerson comments on this "trans-partisan" issue. The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that Trump could proceed with construction of his ballroom—they explicitly did not rule on the merits of the case, but on the issue of standing for the plaintiff. Robert Weisman has our analysis – he’s co-president of Public Citizen. Also: The Democrats are now favored to win not only the House but also the Senate in November – they need to flip four seats, and their candidates are ahead in five. John Nichols explains.

On Monday, the Postal Service announced that it would follow Trump's executive order, which attempts to block voting by mail in states that do not provide its voter rolls for scrutiny by the Trump administration. As of today, Friday – 67 days away from the midterm elections: November 3, 2026 – the Postal Service is prohibited from following Trump's unconstitutional order. Next: Tariffs on Canada, the Iran war and the reflecting pool – Harold Meyerson comments. Also: The Supreme Court is not a Trump court – at least not on several issues – but where do they stand on voting rights? And what exactly did the court say on Monday about the postal service cooperating with Trump in his effort to restrict voting by mail? David Cole explains – he’s the former National Legal Director of the ACLU, and The Nation's legal affairs correspondent. Plus: From the archives: Viet Nguyen talks about his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Sympathizer" – it opens in Saigon on the last day of the Vietnam war and follows a nameless spy who has infiltrated the South Vietnamese army and then flees with its remnants to America​ (originally recorded April 2016)​.

More progressive democrats have triumphed over AIPAC money — starting with the surprising victory of Aisha Wahab in Northern California – Harold Meyerson comments on how "AIPAC is on a negative roll". Also: Indivisible’s 2,500 local volunteer-led groups are preparing for a rapid response to any threats to free and fair voting around election day, starting with plans to promote early voting, and including preparations to mobilize large-scale protests if there are attempts to undermine the results. Leah Greenberg, co-founder and co-executive director, explains. Plus: Vanita Gupta reviews the massive legal planning underway to defend the vote, the count, and the certification of the winners in the midterms – she was Associate Attorney General in the Biden administration, and has been working with the Senate Democrats’ Elections Task Force on planning and preparations for November. Bonus: History on the March: A 'Save Our Signs' project update: Hundreds of volunteers have submitted 17, 236 photos of historic signs before the Trump administration removes them: the signs deal with things like slavery, women's rights and climate change, among other topics the Trump administration doesn't want people to know about.

News from Wisconsin, one of the most gerrymandered states and a key to the national Democratic strategy; and from my home state of Minnesota, where Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan triumphed over opponent in the primary for state senate, Angie Craig, who out-spent her by 4 to 1 – Harold Meyerson comments. Also: The ACLU is organizing thousands of volunteers, preparing to respond to 25 different ways Trump could try to subvert or sabotage the midterms. Deirdre Schifeling explains—she’s the ACLU’s Chief Political and Advocacy Officer. More info at https://www.aclu.org/campaigns-initiatives/people-power. Plus: Howard Zinn’s book A People’s History of the US has sold four million copies—and now we have a biography of the author, written by Dave Zirin, The Nation’s longtime sports editor - his new book is The People’s Historian: The Outsized Life of Howard Zinn.

Abdul El-Sayed's first task is winning Black Detroit; next is making inroads in working class white Michigan. Harold Meyerson comments. Also: A rehearsal for the election protection groups: the California sheriff who seized 650,000 ballots from November’s referendum, claiming he needed to recount them. Zach Roth of Democracy Docket will explain how the Chad Bianco case provides a test of one key Republican strategy for holding on to the House after the midterms. Plus: From the archives: The Museum of Jurassic Technology is one of Culver City's hidden treasures - David Wilson explains (originally broadcast 6-19-2001).

Trump's trouble this week is getting the Senate committee to advance his nomination of Todd Blanche as Attorney General. Two key Republican senators are refusing to vote for Blanche unless Trump gives up on his deal that gives him immunity from tax audits – Harold Meyerson comments. Also: An impressive alliance of groups have been preparing for months to counter Trump’s threats to Democrats in the midterms. Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward and a member of The Senate Democrats’ Election Protection Task Force, explains why “we are going to have free and fair elections” in November. Plus: Elon Musk calls Christopher Nolan’s film “The Odyssey” “part of a left-wing plan” to “destroy Western Civilization.” John Powers has a different view – he’s critic-at-large on NPR’s “Fresh Air” with Terry Gross.

The Dems vs. the GOP in the 2026 Midterms: in the latest Fox News poll, 53% of Americans said they'd vote Democrat; but will that hold until November? "Assuming Donald Trump continues to be Donald Trump... these gaps may grow larger" – in the Dems' favor – Harold Meyerson comments. John Nichols on the Senate Candidates in Maine and Nebraska, and the governor’s race in Wisconsin. John of course is executive editor of The Nation. Plus: It's the 60th anniversary of Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" – "Everybody Must Get Stoned" "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" and "Visions of Johanna" – we discuss this historic – and literary – album with Alan Minsky.

Trump's TV speech, and his declining situation, politically and mentally: Six years after he lost the 2020 election, Trump is still trying to find someone, anyone, to tell him he won. Trump said that last night's speech was about the 2020 election but really it was about the 2026 elections – and Trump's efforts to cause people to doubt the vote counters because he knows Republicans are set to suffer great losses in the upcoming midterms – Harold Meyerson comments on Trump's bad week leading up to the speech. Also: Trump believes the teaching of history really matters—that’s why on July 4 he issued a 162-page attack on the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Yale historian Beverly Gage comments – her new book is This Land is Your Land: A Road Trip through US History. Plus: from the archives, "Trump and Golf": The Saudi-backed LIV golf league returned to Trump’s Doral Resort in April 2025 – an early sign that Trump family business deals using Saudi government financing were going to continue into the new presidency. The legendary sportswriter Robert Lipsyte comments on Trump and golf. (broadcast originally in August 2017)

The Democrats in Maine have got to pick a new candidate to replace Platner by July 27th. As we've learned from Kamala Harris, replacing a candidate this late is hard – but​, Harris carried Maine by 7 points in 2024, the Democratic candidate for governor there leads by 15 points, and Susan Collins' approval rating is negative. So, what​ chance ​does new Democratic candidate ​have to defeat Collins? Harold Meyerson comments. Also: Jamie Raskin, Democrat from Maryland, talks about Congress reforming the Supreme Court, and the House challenging Trump’s corruption. His article in the current issue of The Nation magazine is “We Must Restore Congress as the Predominant Branch of Government.” Plus: The Court ended Temporary Protected Status, TPS, for Haitians (and others), but that does not mean deportations will begin immediately. Instead most of those with TPS will be given an opportunity to contest a deportation order or apply for remaining on a different basis. Amy Wilentz comments on the current responses in New York City, Miami, Springfield, Ohio, and in Congress.