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This week President Trump described the work of the legendary historian Howard Zinn, who died in 2010, as "propaganda" meant to "make students ashamed of their own history." But Zinn believed the opposite, that teaching the unvarnished truth about history was the best way to combat propaganda and unexamined received wisdom. We air excerpts from a 2009 interview with Zinn in which he explained his approach to education. "We should be honest with young people; we should not deceive them. We should be honest about the history of our country," Zinn said.

As climate-fueled wildfires continue to ravage the West, the Trump administration has tapped a well-known climate change denier for a top position at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. University of Delaware professor David Legates has written papers calling for more fossil fuel emissions and has had his work supported by the Robert Mercer-funded Heartland Institute and Koch Industries, as well as major gas companies. He was recently hired as NOAA's deputy assistant secretary of commerce for observation and prediction. We speak with David Goodrich, a former top climate scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who says Legates's appointment goes against the overwhelming consensus of the scientific community. "You have about 97% of the scientists disagreeing with the position of Dr. Legates," says Goodrich, who served as director of NOAA's Climate Observations Division from 2009 to 2011. We also speak to David Goodrich about his latest book, "A Voyage Across an Ancient Ocean," in which he examines the impact of the fossil fuel industry through an epic bicycle journey from the Alberta tar sands to the Bakken oil field of North Dakota.

As the official United States death toll from COVID-19 approaches 200,000 people, we speak with infectious disease expert Dr. Monica Gandhi, who says President Trump's refusal to promote face masks has made the pandemic much worse. "Masks are a pillar of pandemic control. They are incredibly important," says Dr. Gandhi, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, as well as a division head at San Francisco General Hospital. "There is no country in the world right now that has been fighting masks like this, especially at the presidential level. If we could have started mask wearing, consistent mask wearing, at the beginning, we would have averted deaths and cases."

FEATURING MEHRDAD AZEMUN – The question of how to convince supporters of President Donald Trump that he is a liar and not interested in anyone but himself is one that we have tackled many times on this program over the last few years. It is one that has consumed millions of Americans, especially now with...

FEATURING JEFF SCHLEGELMILCH – Months into a global pandemic of staggering proportions we are living in what could be viewed as not just a disaster but a “mega-disaster,” one that we as a society were ill-prepared for in terms of infrastructure and economy. Disasters such as devastating earthquakes, terrorist attacks, industrial accidents, or nuclear war...

President Donald Trump on Thursday took aim at the teaching of history in American schools, giving a speech from the National Archives about a new initiative he calls the “1776 Commission.” The commission would, “promote patriotic education,” and work toward developing a, “pro-American curriculum that celebrates the truth about our nation’s great history.” He railed...

* * * Perry Dorrell blogs as PDiddie at Brains and Eggs, usually on topics concerning the strange brew of Texas politics. He's also on Twitter @PDiddie.

We're off today, but we've got a BradCast 'RECOUNTED' for your listening pleasure, with two excellent recent interviews you may have missed --- or just need to hear again. [Audio link to show is posted below.] First up is Brad's 8/17/2020 interview with historian NILS GILMAN, Vice President of Programs at the Berggruen Institute and co-founder [...]

On Thursday, by way of a 13-page Order [PDF] issued in State of Washington v. Trump, U.S. District Court Judge Stanley A. Bastian not only enjoined the United States Postal Service (USPS) from continuing to implement the "transformative" nationwide changes to its mail delivery capacities effectuated since July under the direction of Postmaster General Louis [...]

September 20, 2020 - Jim Manley | Caroline Fredrickson | James Fallows by Ian Masters

When he Loses the Election Will Trump Call His Armed and Delusional Supporters to the Streets? | The Dark Side of Meritocracy and the Need to Restore the Dignity of Work | Chaos and War Will Follow Trump's Withdrawal from Afghanistan Before the Election backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

Trump Chokes on ABC's Town Hall Facing Real Questions From Ordinary Americans | Silence From the White House and GOP on Caputo's Call to Arms For a Civil War in November | The GOP's Affinity for Putin Who Runs a Regime Republicans Want for America backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia facebook.com/ianmastersmedia