Rational Radio Daily with Steele and Ungar

Latest Episodes:

"We saw the transformative power of education." Jun 02, 2018

Show notes

Matt Dolan, the founder and CEO of The Global Teaching Project, joined the guys to talk about how education is the key to civil rights. Michael and Rick also discussed the May jobs report with Politico's Victoria Guida. How much credit does President Trump deserve for the strong economy?

"This president is hell-bent on disrupting." Jun 01, 2018

Show notes

The Trump administration imposed steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada, Mexico and the European Union. They have retaliated in kind. Michael and Rick talk about whether we're now in the midst of a trade war. The guys also discussed whether liberals are too condescending and whether it is one of the key reasons for the anti-establishment backlash that gave us President Trump.

"Who do we trust?" May 31, 2018

Show notes

Dr. Karen Weaver, the mayor of Flint, Michigan, joined the guys to talk about about the ongoing water crisis. Why was help so slow to get there and what still needs to be done in order for the crisis to truly be over? Michael Steele and Rick Ungar also discussed House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy debunking President Trump's claims about "spygate".

"The VA is a different animal." May 30, 2018

Show notes

Tom Porter, the legislative director for the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), joined the guys to talk about the state of the VA and Acting VA Secretary Robert Wilkie, President Trump's pick to lead the agency. Michael Fuchs of the Center for American Progress jumps on to discuss the U.S. and North Korea scrambling to try and salvage the on-again, off-again peace summit scheduled for June 12th in Singapore.

"This bill does not go far enough." May 26, 2018

Show notes

The Senate passed a bill Thursday that seeks to reform the process for reporting and addressing sexual misconduct in Congress. The Senate’s bill, passed without any objection in a voice vote, aims to reform significant parts of the Congressional Accountability Act. The House passed similar measures earlier this year. The future of the Senate’s legislation is already in question as it faces strong criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union and members of Congress like Representative Jackie Speier (D-Calif. 14). Rep. Speier helped spearhead the passage of the House’s reform measures and she, along with many others, argue that the bill is too narrow in scope and would still allow too much wiggle room for abuse to occur. The congresswoman joins us to explain why she thinks the bill does not do enough and what the legislation needs to include. Michael and Rick also discuss Harvey Weinstein’s arrest on charges of rape. What impact, if any, will this have on Hollywood and the Me Too Movement?

"We do have to bring the hammer down." May 25, 2018

Show notes

President Trump canceled his planned summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un earlier today, citing North Korea’s “tremendous anger and open hostility” in recent statements ahead of the meeting. Lawmakers and pundits in Washington are split on the president’s decision. Several Republican senators expressed their approval while others around Capitol Hill wonder if President Trump is playing a risky game trying to leverage a more favorable negotiating position with North Korea. What led President Trump to call off this historic meeting? Gordon Chang, Daily Beast columnist, author of “Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes on the World” and “The Coming Collapse of China,” breaks down the president’s possible motivations and how the U.S. should proceed from here. James Clapper, the former Director of National Intelligence, declares in his new book that he thinks Russia swung the election for Donald Trump. Sam Nunberg, a former staffer on the Trump campaign, joins Rick and Michael to weigh in.

"Getting older voters to talk to exit pollsters is still a huge problem." May 24, 2018

Show notes

“What happened?” That’s the question Hillary Clinton and so many others were asking on the morning of November 9, 2016. Part of the immense confusion and frustration was directed at the pollsters who had said for months that Clinton was leading Donald J. Trump. How could they have gotten it so wrong? Shortly after the election, Fox News and the Associated Press pulled out of the media consortium that funds major polling outlets in order to focus on crafting and executing their own polling. These polls aim for a much larger scope than traditional exit polls and won't focus on “exiting” voters but will try to capture a better picture of all voter attitudes up to the close of voting stations. Can this new model compensate for the flaws in the old one? Domenico Montanaro, lead political editor at National Public Radio, talks about his reporting on the Fox and AP polling model. The NFL announced a new policy today that they think will end the controversy around players protesting during the national anthem. Michael and Rick discuss the possible outcomes and implications of the new policy.

"We are in the land of hypocrisy...the land of do as I say not as I do." May 23, 2018

Show notes

We all know Twitter is President Trump’s favored avenue for keeping in touch with the American people, making policy proclamations and venting at Washington bureaucracy. President Trump tweets primarily through, according to reports, an iPhone that, despite being issued through White House Information Technology and the White House Communications Agency, could be a security risk. The president is supposed to swap out phones every month but refuses because it is “too inconvenient”. You may recall Hillary Clinton similarly said that she used her private email server for convenience. By failing to regularly replace the phone, President Trump leaves the device open to possible hacking and surveillance. Why would the president risk national security for convenience? Michael and Rick discuss this latest chapter of confusion in the Trump White House. Scott L. Nelson, an attorney at Public Citizen Litigation Group, talks about the Supreme Court’s ruling that companies can require workers to accept individual arbitration.

"Why aren't they [the NRA] doing more to protect the American public?" May 22, 2018

Show notes

The Atlantic published a piece by senior editor David Frum on Friday simply titled, “It’s the Guns.” Frum opens with an earth-shattering statistic: “Americans of high-school age are 82 times more likely to die from a gun homicide than 15- to 19-year olds in the rest of the developed world.” How did we get here? In addition, how can we take action to ensure that number drops and that families all across the United States do not have to worry about whether or not their children will come home from school? Kris Brown, co-president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, talks about actions that all of us can take to ensure that horrors like the mass shooting at Santa Fe High School never happen again. Michael and Rick discuss the steps that the Department of Justice is taking to review if there was any abuse or misconduct in the investigation of the Trump presidential campaign.

"Governors, this is on you. Sorry. May not be fair, but it's on you." May 19, 2018

Show notes

A seventeen-year old student walked into Santa Fe High School in Texas today with a shotgun and a revolver. He killed 10 people—nine students and one teacher—and wounded 10 others. Explosives, including pipe bombs, were found around the school. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that the shooting is “One of the most heinous attacks that we’ve ever seen in the history of Texas schools.” As a community mourns and families grieve, many wonder what effect, if any, this most recent mass shooting will have on the national conversation about gun violence and gun control. Rick and guest co-host Tara Setmayer, CNN political commentator, wonder whether Washington will finally be moved to action or will offer the same trite slogans and statements. Anti-poverty advocate Jack Frech explains why so many Americans—almost half of U.S. households—cannot afford some of the most basic necessities like food and housing.

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