Thinking CAP

As we await details of the GOP’s tax plan, Igor and Michele sit down with Seth Hanlon, a senior fellow with CAP’s economic policy team and former tax policy adviser to President Obama. Seth breaks down who the bill helps and who it doesn’t (hint: the middle class). Then, our hosts are joined by Nick Hanauer: entrepreneur, 1%er and fierce advocate in the fight against economic inequality. Nick explains why trickle-down economics simply doesn’t work and how raising the minimum wage has boosted the economy and created jobs.

What a week: Special Counsel Robert Mueller has indicted former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his former business partner Rick Gates. We also learned that George Papadopoulos, a third Trump campaign official, has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. Matt Miller, a former official with the Department of Justice and partner at Vianovo, joins Michele and Igor to break down the indictments.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) joins the pod to discuss #MeToo, the viral hashtag that serves as a rallying cry against sexual misconduct and assault; her meeting with Ivanka Trump; and Administrator Scott Pruitt’s dangerous decisions at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Michele and Igor also talk about Senator Jeff Flake’s (R-AZ) announcement this week that he will not seek re-election in 2018, making him the latest congressional Republican who no longer wants to put up with President Trump.

Brittany Packnett—activist, teacher & co-founder of Campaign Zero sits down with Michele and Igor to discuss the FBI targeting so-called “black identity extremists,” like the Black Lives Matter movement advocates she worked with during the aftermath of Michael Brown’s killing in Ferguson, Missouri. Packnett also discusses how the whiteness of the Las Vegas shooter colored how the media covered him, how white people can use their privilege to be good allies, code switching, and the worst Dove commercial of all time. Michele and Igor also speak with Rashad Robinson, executive director of Color of Change, about the power of collective voices to change narratives.

Michele and Igor get Former Attorney General Eric Holder to share his assessment on how Jeff Sessions is running the Department of Justice. They discuss the recent NFL protests, backlash from President Trump and Vice President Pence to players exercising their first amendment rights and the suspension of Jemele Hill. Also, Holder shares his biggest regret from his time as Attorney General.

California State Senator, Kevin de León, Senate President Pro Tempore, joins Michele and Igor to discuss California’s role in leading the resistance against Trump, what more progressives in Washington should be doing to fight his agenda and how he helped make California a “sanctuary state” with the most far reaching immigration legislation in the country.

Hollywood producer, Scott Budnick, tells Michele and Igor what he really thinks about the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault scandal. Then Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) joins to digest President’s Trump’s intention to decertify the Iran deal this week and to respond to the mass shooting last week in Las Vegas. Murphy says members of Congress who are unwilling to act to pass legislation are complicit in gun-related deaths in this country.

Former U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, joins following the release of her new book, "What Happened," to discuss the tragic mass shooting in Las Vegas on Monday, the president's response to the humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, the regulation of Facebook and the start of the Supreme Court session. Michele also gets her to open up about her faith and how prayer has gotten her through the months since the 2016 election.

Former FEMA Administrator, Craig Fugate who led responses to major disasters including Hurricanes Sandy and Matthew joins Michele and Igor. Fugate discusses why these disasters are getting bigger and more complex, the role of climate change, and the smartest ways to rebuild. He also talks about the humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico and the unique challenges for the Island.

Hasan Minhaj--a senior correspondent for "The Daily Show,"--who released his first Netflix special “Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King,” in May joins the pod. Minhaj opens up about his reluctance to share his family's immigration story, why he thinks comedian Kathy Griffin went too far and whether he would consider a career in politics.

Andy Slavitt, former acting administrator at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under former President Obama (and twitter hero)sits down with Michele and Igor to discuss the latest efforts in Congress to repeal the ACA in the form of the Graham-Cassidy bill. He reminds us why health care is far more personal and significant than partisan politics, and how we can work towards universal coverage.

Michele and Igor chat with David Litt, a former speechwriter for then-President Barack Obama and author of “Thanks, Obama: My Hopey Changey White House Years,” released today. Litt discusses his experience as the go-to joke writer for the president, how he embarrassed himself more than once, and a pro-tip about sending angry emails.

Baratunde Thurston, comedian and author of New York Times Bestseller “How to Be Black” joins Michele and Igor to chat race in Trump's America and how social media is forcing us all to sell our identities to advertisers....and Michele shares why she is not on Facebook.

Michele and Igor sit down with Angela Maria Kelley, a top adviser on immigration policy in the Obama White House, for a behind- the-scenes look into the protracted fight to protect Dreamers. Kelley offers her unique perspective on President Obama’s evolution on immigration, and why she's cautiously optimistic about their future.

As millions of American children head back to school, Michele and Igor chat with former U.S. Secretary of Education and President and CEO of The Education Trust John B. King Jr. to discuss our public school systems, school choice, and the racial dynamics still prevalent in education today. They also get him to grade his replacement, Secretary Betsy DeVos. Show notes: Education: The Difference Between Hope And Despair (Huffington Post) by John King: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-king/education-the-difference_b_148855.html John B. King and Jidenna: Stop the assault on the American dream (CNN) by John King and Jidenna: http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/03/opinions/american-dream-opinion-king-jidenna/index.html The Racist Origins of Private School Vouchers: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education/reports/2017/07/12/435629/racist-origins-private-school-vouchers/