Unanimous Dissent

Although Hillary Clinton supporters made the case during the primary that she’d be the best candidate to help down-ballot Democrats retake the House and the Senate, leaked emails showes her campaign isn’t living up to that promise.Then, the two Sams have an extended conversation about the Clinton Foundation with the International Business Times’ David Sirota.David has done extensive investigative reporting on the foundation. We talk about the inherent conflict of interest, the idea that a “quid-pro-quo” must be demonstrated for this story to be newsworthy, and liberal pundits tacit defense of “Citizens United” in their ho-humming over the Foundation.

Hillary Clinton addressed the fringe, internet-based ideology known as the “Alt-Right” in a speech Thursday, but does she run the risk of actually promoting the group’s retrograde ideology? Also, by attaching Trump to the Alt-Right, Clinton may actually be giving cover to traditional Republicans who’ve also peddled the same garbage.Also, the TPP looks dead! For now. We talk about what Mitch McConnell said on Thursday about the agreement and the Lame Duck Session.Then, Conservative Review’s Brian Darling joins us to make the argument that Trump is actually running for president, and not just positioning himself to launch a media enterprise or fatten his bank account. We’ll see about that. And finally, what better use of newly-unfrozen waters in fragile arctic territory than a luxury cruise? We talk about the opening of the Northwest Passage, in the Sludge Report. Then, it’s Friday, so we throw someone in the garbage can.

The Clinton campaign is instructing fundraisers to tap into donor networks associated with failed presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Of course, one reason GOP donors may be reluctant to give to Trump at this point is because he appears to be running his campaign solely to increase his own personal wealth. Then Stefan Borst-Censullo, a.k.a. The Weed Lawyer, joins us to talk about the state of the marijuana gray market in the US, the DEA’s decision not to re-schedule, and the situation in his home state, California. Puff, puff, pass, y’all!And later, environmental groups say that Florida can’t be trusted to ensure its drinking water is safe. I guess that could explain the whole “Florida Man” phenomenon.

An investigation by the Associated Press finds that more than half the people representing private interests that Hillary Clinton met with as Secretary of State were donors to the Clinton Foundation, raising more pay-for-access allegations. Also, Trump is busy making money off his own presidential campaign.Bad news about the healthcare system keeps rolling. The life-saving drug Epipen now costs more than four times what it did in 2008, and lawmakers aren’t happy. And North Dakota is currently the site of a major environmental protest. But if the Governor had his way, it might also be the site of a confrontation between Native American protesters and the federal government. We explain in our Sludge Report.

Evidence is mounting that Donald Trump really isn’t interested in winning the White House. What does he really want then? To build a media empire.Also, Uber enticed drivers to join them and become independent contractors. But the sharing economy giant has other plans for its workforce now, and invisible hands might soon drive Uber cars. DCist’s Rachel Kurzius breaks it down.And finally, the insurance landscape is becoming more clear, following the decision by Aetna to pull out of 11 state exchanges. That, plus a separate piece of healthcare news that has captured the attention of Bernie Sanders, in our People’s Bulletin.

Donald Trump’s campaign is a mess, illegally soliciting funds from foreign lawmakers. Meanwhile, foreign donations are flowing to SuperPACs, despite Republicans’ prior claims about the impact of Citizens United. So it’s good that the FEC is taking action...by cracking down on fake candidates like Deez Nuts and Harambe.Then, we take a break from the Presidential Race to talk to Arn Menconi, running for US Senate in Colorado as a member of the Green Party. He talks about his David vs. Goliath struggle, and explains why this could be the year for a Third Party to make waves.And finally, a whistleblower exposes the sorry state of the SEC by refusing millions he was entitled to for tipping off the commission about Deutsche Bank fraud. We take a spin through the revolving door to discuss this story in our People’s Bulletin.

Bad day Thursday, if you were an investor in private prisons. The Justice Department said that it is looking to phase-out the use of for-profit correctional facilities. Will it make a dent in the prison industrial complex? Either way, prison corporations saw their stocks plummet and we’re loving it.Also, Breitbart political report Neil McCabe is in studio to discuss what’s next for the Trump campaign after the leadership team shake up this week.And, Electronic Intifada’s Rania Khalek joins us to talk NeoMcCarythism, and then sticks around to throw someone in the garbage can.

The neocons are poised to have their “best year ever” (since George W. Bush left office, at least). The two Sam’s discuss Hillary Clinton’s rehabilitation of the prominent neocons, and the GOP primary victory Tuesday night for Liz Cheney in Wyoming, which all but assures there will be another Cheney serving in Congress next year. Plus, Aetna was caught lying. The company’s claims, about not pulling out of Obamacare as retaliation against the Justice Department, can’t withstand the 24 hour news cycle. We explain that and other stories in the latest edition of The People’s Bulletin: Economic news for the 99 percent.And some of the NSA’s most-prized hacking tools have wound up on the internet. What does the leak say about the spy agency’s ability to keep its own secrets?

The Trump campaign claims that it isn’t illegally soliciting donations from parliamentarian in Australia and England--it swears that it’s being victimized by “scammers.” Who is dumb enough to believe that and does it matter?And, The Week’s National Correspondent Ryan Cooper joins us in studio to breakdown what’s driving Donald Trump’s support--beyond all the nasty racism and xenophobia and stuff. Then, a major insurance giant throws coverage for hundreds of thousands of Americans into disarray. Bernie we need you and are still thinking about you, baby. We long for healthcare as a right.

The New York Times reported that Paul Manafort received $12.7 million in payments from former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich. Clinton allies are saying this proves Manafort was an agent of the Kremlin. So why aren’t they saying the same thing about Tony Podesta?And Rachel Kurzius joins us to talk about an entrepreneur testing the waters of Washington DC, after it rolled back marijuana prohibition last year. We discuss how his new commodity could help congressional staffers get lifted on slow work days. Also, Members of Congress are questioning US support for Saudi Arabia’s bombing campaign in Yemen, which has killed thousands of civilians. In our Classified Session, we discuss charges that the Saudi kingdom is engaged in war crimes.

Hillary Clinton releases her tax returns putting more pressure on her GOP opponent to do the same. But Donald Trump might actually have bigger problems--his supporters are dropping like flies. The two Sams examine a report showing that people who supported Trump in the primary are very much having second thoughts now during the general.Financial reform might be off the agenda, in the general election battle between a Fake Populist and a Wall Street Ally. But we’re still worried about financialization, so we brought on journalist and author David Dayen to talk about two pieces he recently wrote for The Intercept. And, President Obama hasn’t given up on passing the Trans-Pacific Partnership, despite the deal getting beaten up pretty badly on the campaign trail. We’ll talk about the White House latest maneuvering to pass the trade deal in our People’s Bulletin.

Remember a couple of months ago when Hillary was calling herself a progressive? Now she’s trying to get conservative support at the “grassroots.” Time makes fools of us all--but especially the liberal hacks, who were fully on the Clinton Progressive Train, and are now silent about her rightward tack. And a new Department of Justice Inspector General report finds that private prisons are less safe and less secure than their government-run counterparts. We speak with activist and author James Kilgore on the problems with for-profit incarceration and the broader social ill of mass incarceration.Finally, the Two Sams discuss the latest report on intelligence doctoring to paint the war against the Islamic State in a more positive light. This time, the investigation came from Congress. And, it’s Friday, so we throw someone in the Garbage Can.

The Department of Justice released a scathing report on Baltimore police tactics, finding gross violations of individuals constitutional rights. The two Sams break down the DOJ’s grim findings. Then, the LA Times veteran Brazil correspondent Vincent Bevins joined us. We talk about what it’s like being in Rio during the Olympics--especially given the ongoing political scandal, involving Dilma Rouseff, Michel Temer, and, now….Bernie Freakin’ Sanders!And, we still give a damn about Hillary Clinton’s emails. Newly released correspondences reveal what could be improper favors doled out to donors and officials within the Clinton Foundation while Clinton served as Secretary of State. We discuss it in a classified session.

New numbers are out showing how much the presidential campaigns have spent on ads so far during the general election. And in what is perhaps the oddest statistic of the election, the Trump campaign has spent zero dollars. Yes, he’s currently being outspent on ads by both the Green Party and Libertarian Party’s candidates.And there was another disturbing revelation about the FBI’s activities leading up to last year’s failed terrorist attack in Garland, Texas. The Intercept’s Murtaza Hussein called into the show to tell us what he found out.Finally, foreign policy has led to a pair of outcries about US posture toward Yemen and Brazil--and no, we’re not talking about Michael Phelps’ cup marks.

Trump talked up his economic agenda, and boy does it sound like the same sludge that House Republicans have peddled for years. Despite that, the Never Trumpers are back and have a new spoiler candidate to run in November. Also, with the election season in full-swing, it’s time for bizarre political ads. One GOP Gubernatorial candidate in Missouri has already set the bar pretty high. The DCist’s Rachel Kurzius is on to break it all down. And speaking of economic agenda, the Washington Post revealed how Hillary’s senate record should raise a few questions about her ties and credibility. We discuss in our People’s Bulletin.

Thanks to a Freedom of Information Act request by the ACLU, the public has more insight into exactly what the FBI was up to last year when it was flying spy planes over Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray. The two Sam’s break down what’s inside more than 18 hours of newly-released surveillance footage taken over the city.Also, former Bush officials are lining up to support Hillary Clinton. Lifelong CIA operative Michael Morell endorsed Hillary Clinton last week, praising her foreign policy credentials. Journalist Robbie Martin joins us to discuss why Bush’s war architects are flocking to the Clinton campaign. And then, the Conservative Review’s John Gray stops by to talk about Trump’s awful week. Can the real estate mogul get his act together, or should the GOP find someone else to lead the ticket?

The news media is now focused on one thing and one thing alone this election: GOP nominee Donald Trump. And the lack of attention on the Democratic candidate is providing cover for Hillary Clinton to behave in ways that might make her voter base uncomfortable, like hitting up fundraisers with fracking magnates.Then, the killing of Korryn Gaines has brought renewed scrutiny to police tactics--especially in light of the fact that Facebook shut off a livestream of the standoff that led to her death. Journalist Kenneth Lipp joins us to discuss.And reporter Brendan James stops by to talk about Cindy Sheehan, a Gold Star mom who was abandoned by the Democratic Party after she spoke out against the war in Iraq. Brendan also sticks around to throw someone in the garbage can!

Recent comments by Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson suggest that the department may soon classify our nation’s election systems as “critical infrastructure.” It would allow the federal government to provide enhanced cybersecurity assistance. The two Sam’s ask, “What the hell took so long?”Then, we bring you an update on the status of Chelsea Manning. The Army whistleblower has been callously threatened with more punishment, after attempting suicide. Evan Greer, Fight for the Future Campaign Manager and friend of Chelsea, joins us to discuss.And, the host of the radio show By Any Means Necessary, Eugene Puryear, stops by to discuss the intra-left wars triggered by the grueling Democratic Primary, and where the Left should go now that Hillary Clinton is the nominee.

Although one Republican member of the House is ditching Trump and supporting Hillary Clinton in November, the Donald still has a firm grasp on most of the rest of the GOP. That’s because he’s not some unique force within the Republican Party, but actually a product of it. Also Will Menaker, the final third of Chapo Trap House, graced us with his vast knowledge of cinema. He let’s us know what movies you should watch if you’re struggling to make sense of 2016. And later, the two Sam’s give a shout-out to Rep. Barbara Lee who’s taken her consistent anti-war message and applied it to the recent airstrikes in Libya. Also, the climate receives its annual report card--and it’s not good.

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton reminded voters last weekend why they are the least popular candidates in modern history. And the New York Times reaffirmed that point, reporting that only 9 percent of the country actually voted for them in the Primary. We hash things out at the top of the show.Then, global warming is already affecting Washington DC in demonstrable ways. DCist Associate Editor Rachel Kurzius joins to discuss our rapidly growing “Mosquito Seasons,” the freak rainstorm in Ellicott City, Md. that killed two people, and sweltering conditions inside of DC jails.Finally, corporate lobbyists are pushing President Obama’s Net Neutrality initiative closer to the Supreme Court. And although the withdrawal timetable keeps getting pushed back and although 2016 seems to be driving everyone mad, the Pentagon isn’t keen on drumming up the threat of ISIS in Afghanistan. Nice!