Nooorm! This week, a tribute to George Wendt on his career and what he and Cheers represented in arguably the last decade in which the American people had a fully shared television experience. The panel also takes on Donald Trump's big, beautiful tax cuts for the rich, what to expect as the bill moves from the House to the Senate, and how it will impact the health care of millions of Americans. Democrats have perhaps their best opportunity yet to draw a contrast.
We also cover turmoil at CBS where the head of the news division has resigned amid pressure from its parent company and a dubious Trump-world lawsuit. Jeremy offers up insights on how different revenue models could be the way forward for an independent media.
In this episode, we also look at how the White House has laid the groundwork to suspend Habeas Corpus from day one, including by trying to use the Alien Enemies Act by claiming an invasion is underway. We break down the facts, which show that migrants have largely come to America for economic reasons, and the role Congress has in fixing the broken asylum system. This thoughtful conversation covers this week's spectacle in the Oval Office with the President of South Africa, and the politics of white minority fear being exploited.
This week we close out this episode on a somber note, sending our condolences to the families and friends of those murdered outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC. We have spoken a lot about the need to defend and stand up for a liberal democracy, one in which we allow for a difference of opinions, and where we find compromise while respecting the civil liberties of everyone in America. Those concepts are fundamental for our democracy to survive. Political violence cannot be tolerated, nor can we remain silent in the face of growing antisemitism.
The same is, of course, true of Islamophobia and anti-Arab sentiment. Just this month a man in Illinois was convicted for the hate crime murder of a 6-year-old Muslim boy in an attack that also left the boy’s mother severely injured. That too, was unacceptable. We must find constructive ways to debate, to find common ground, and when we seek to apply political pressure — to do so in a way that respects the rights of groups we do not belong to. This is where our civic institutions, from schools to the press, and spaces for public dialogue play a vital role—fostering understanding, not division. And civil society must not remain on the sidelines. Faith communities, NGOs, educators, and local leaders all have a responsibility to help ensure that no one should fear to worship or not worship, to attend a museum, or to walk through their college campus because of who they are. We must stand together against all forms of hate and extremism.
As Dr. Martin Luther King so simply and clearly put it: “Hate begets hate. Force begets force. Violence begets violence.”
As you all head out for the long weekend to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice, we wish you a meaningful Memorial Day. Thank you for listening!
-Luis.
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