http://www.NRDC.orgThe guest host for today's show is Brad Bannon. Brad runs Bannon Communications Research, a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns. His show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET. Brad is first joined by Bob Deans, Director of Strategic Engagement at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), to examine the mounting environmental and economic costs of President Trump’s policies. Bob explains how the administration’s attacks on clean energy and environmental protections are affecting Americans’ wallets, pointing to rising electricity and gasoline costs, billions of dollars in lost clean-energy investment and canceled projects that could have powered millions of homes and businesses. Meanwhile, major oil companies continue to reap enormous profits. Brad and Bob also discuss the growing financial toll of climate-driven droughts, heat waves, wildfires, storms and floods; a major Supreme Court case involving efforts to hold fossil-fuel companies accountable for climate damages; and threats to America’s national parks and protected lands. Finally, they look ahead to what Congress can do to restore environmental safeguards, protect clean air and water, accelerate clean-energy development and provide greater accountability for an administration that Deans says has taken or proposed more than 560 actions undermining the environment and public health. Then, Brad is joined by Tara Devlin, host of the TARABUSTER podcast, for a wide-ranging discussion about the state of the U.S. economy, affordability and growing economic inequality. Brad and Tara examine the contrast between the Trump administration’s claims of a booming economy and economic indicators showing weak hiring, persistent inflation, high mortgage rates and financial pressure on working- and middle-class Americans. Tara explains how Trump’s self-described “golden age” looks very different for ordinary families than it does for billionaires and the wealthiest Americans. The conversation also turns to the rollback of clean-energy projects, the economic impact of those decisions, and the approaching midterm elections. Later, Brad and Tara discuss proposals to raise taxes on billionaires, the concentration of wealth and political influence, and whether asking the wealthiest Americans to contribute more could help address challenges facing programs such as Social Security. They close with a broader conversation about money and politics, accountability and the controversies surrounding Donald Trump and the Republican Party. The website for NRDC is www.NRDC.org and their handle on BlueSky is @NRDC.org. Tara Devlin is host of the progressive podcast 'TARABUSTER,' which can be found at www.tarabuster.com. Her handle on BlueSky is @tarabuster.bsky.social. Brad is on the National Journal's panel of political insiders, is an American political analyst for The Times of India TV, and is a national political analyst for WGN TV and Radio in Chicago and KNX Radio in Los Angeles. Brad also writes a political column every Sunday for 'The Hill.' You can read his new Substack called, 'The Bannon Ballot Blast,' at www.bradbannon.substack.com. His handle on BlueSky is @bradbannon.bsky.social. (Image Credit: The Economist/Getty Images)
