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Part One:
We speak with Harold Meyerson, Executive Editor of The American Prospect. In the aftermath of the Mueller report, we recognize that — even if he didn’t collude with Russia to undermine our elections — Donald Trump is still the most dangerous president in U.S. history. A recent study noted that there was a 226% increase in hate crimes (!) in counties where Pres. Trump had held rallies, compared to counties where Trump had not appeared to spread his message. Similarly, the president’s policy of separating children from their parents on the border – and throwing them into cages – is not something we learned from Stalin; it is a homegrown American policy of hate.
Trump also continues threatening to take away health care for millions of Americans, and, significantly, to eliminate health coverage for pre-existing conditions. As our guest put it, “Nations rot from within, by pitting one group against another.” Trump’s chief contribution has been to accelerate America’s rot.
We also assess the extent to which Democratic politicians bear some of the blame for not having the courage to stand up to the Republicans’ inhumane policies, racism, and handouts to the top 1% at the expense of ordinary working people. Democrats may not have had the political power to defeat those policies, but they could have added their voices, changed the conversation, and led movements to win the hearts and minds of the public in support of a more compassionate, more equitably-shared country.
Part Two:
We speak with J. Brian Charles, urban policy reporter for Governing Magazine, about the increasing trend toward renting one’s home (rather than buying it). We learn that the State of Oregon has passed a rent control law that covers tenants throughout the state. We wonder whether rent control is the solution to our nation’s housing problem, and whether other states might follow Oregon’s lead.
We also discuss the 43% increase in the number of baby boomers who rent their homes. We consider the reasons for this trend, and the challenges – and benefits – that it brings to cities and towns.
