Sue's Daily Stack, The Thom Hartmann Program 05/21/26

Your daily homework - links to everything discussed on today's show

Thursday’s Daily Stack

Hour One: Jeff Bezos’ Tax Scam: Why Billionaires Want Their Workers to Stop Paying Taxes
Article: “Jeff Bezos’ Tax Scam: Why Billionaires Want Their Workers to Stop Paying Taxes“ by Thom Hartmann.
Article: “Here Comes the Republican Santa Scam Again“ by Thom Hartmann.
Article: “They Blew Up the Debt, Stalled America’s Future, and Stuck You With the Bill. All to Enrich the Top 1% and Win Elections…“ by Thom Hartmann.
Article: “Bezos defends billionaires, hypes AI, talks taxes and praises Trump in CNBC interview“ by Kevin Breuninger, Annie Palmer.
Article: “Historical income tax rates“ by Mark Luscombe.
Article: “Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich Backs Tom Steyer“ by Tom Steyer.

Article: “What’s next for Stephen Colbert after ‘The Late Show’?“ by Liam Reilly.
Article: “Everything Larry and David Ellison Will Control If Paramount Buys Warner Bros.“ by Manisha Krishnan.
Video: The Smothers Brothers Move To ABC!

White Resentment Confirms What LBJ Warned Us About 60 Years Ago
Article: “A study Confirms what LBJ said 60 Years Ago. White Americans Oppose Federal Programs to Spite Other Races.“ by commander ogg.
Article: “Did LBJ Advocate: ‘Convince the Lowest White Man He’s Better Than the Best Colored Man’?“ by David Emery. “If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.“

Why Is ICE Preparing Crematoriums Inside America’s New Detention Network?
Article: “ICE Is Quietly Rolling Out a $55 Billion Crematorium Network“ by W. A. Lawrence.

Why Is the Mainstream Press Burying Trump’s Stock Trading Scheme?
Article: “Major news outlets are ignoring Trump’s shady stock trades“ by Oliver Willis.

Article: “Watergate scandal“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Graham Platner leads Susan Collins by 7 points in latest poll“ by Benjamin Kail.
Article: “John Dean“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Acting AG Todd Blanche defends Trump’s $1.8B ‘slush fund’ rioters may use for multi-million dollar taxpayer payouts“ by Rachel Dobkin.
Article: “Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche slammed for ‘spewing garbage’ in CNN interview“ by Demetria Osei-Tutu.
Article: “John N. Mitchell“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Watergate Casualties and Convictions“ by Malcolm Farnsworth.
Article: “Trump’s $1.8 Billion Tax Slush Fund Could Land His New AG Up to 5 Years in a Federal Pen (Should Law and Order Ever Be Restored)“ by Chris Armitage.
Article: “Steve Kornacki leaving MSNBC to join NBC News and NBC Sports full time“ by Jay Stahl .
Article: “Pennsylvania’s Congressional Delegation“ by Track AIPAC (incl. John Fetterman).
Article: “Inside the Quiet Republican Effort to Flip Fetterman“ by Jonathan Martin.
Article: “Paranoid Vladimir Putin regularly sleeping in his office in Kremlin over war stress“ by Florence Freeman.
Article: “How Zelensky ran out of patience with Trump — and what it means for US-Ukraine relations“ by Tim Zadorozhnyy.
Video: Our Tax System Should Make You Furious | The Ezra Klein Show.
Book: The Second Estate: How the Tax Code Made an American Aristocracy by Ray D. Madoff.
Article: “Understanding Payroll Tax: FICA, Medicare, and Unemployment Explained“ by Julia Kagan.
Article: “Understanding Regressive Taxes: Definition and Common Types“ by Julia Kagan.
Article: “Micron’s mammoth property tax break examined: Is it a good deal for schools?“ by Glenn Coin.
Petition: “Fire Pete Hegseth!“ by MoveOn.
Petition: “No Trump Ballroom!“ by MoveOn.
Book: Iron Cages: Paradigms, Ideologies and the Crisis of the Postcolonial State by Alison Jones.
Article: “Trump-backed challenger defeats Republican rebel Massie in primary“ (Ed Gallrein) by Max Matza.
Article: “Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Law“ by Justia.
Article: “The Origins of Our Investigation Into Clarence Thomas’ Relationship With Harlan Crow“ by Stephen Engelberg and Jesse Eisinger.
Article: “Clarence Thomas’ Citizens United vote enabled billionaire benefactor to boost political power“ by Kenny Stancil.
Article: “Amy Coney Barrett Set To Hear Case Against Shell, Her Dad’s Employer For 29 Years“ by Alexander C. Kaufman.
Article: “Inside the new Dem move to curb Trump’s slush fund“ by Sarah K. Burris.
Article: “January 6 officers sue Trump over $1.8bn fund, alleging ‘presidential corruption’“ (Harry Dunn, Daniel Hodges) by Guardian Staff.

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Hour Two: Ukraine update
- Phil Ittner, Veteran War Correspondent based in Kiev, Ukraine & host of the ‘On the Edge‘ podcast @PhilipIttner Youtube Instagram
Article: “On Springtime Battlefield In War’s Fifth Year, Ukraine Claws Back Territory“ by Yehor Lohinov and Mike Eckel.
Article: “Ukraine’s attack on Moscow is another sign the war is not so distant anymore for Russians“ by AP.
Article: “As Ukraine Hits Oil Refineries, Russians Pay a Heavy Environmental Toll“ by Nataliya Vasilyeva and Alina Lobzina.
Article: “Rosenberg: Russia’s Victory Day parade with no tanks a sign Ukraine war not going to plan“ by Steve Rosenberg.
Article: “Russia’s inching advance in Ukraine approaches eastern fortress belt“ by Reuters.
Article: “1.1 Million Casualties: The Ukraine War Means Russia’s Military Is ‘Bleeding Out’“ by Kris Osborn.
Article: “No Peace Deal Until Russia Returns Ukraine’s Stolen Children“ by Sevinj Osmanqizi.
Article: “Vyshyvanka Day: history, traditions, and how the holiday is celebrated in Ukraine“ by UNN.
Article: “CNN Host Stunned by MAGA Voter’s Survival Strategy“ by Will Neal.
Article: “Vladimir Putin’s 2026 calendar revealed as ‘iron wing Vlad’ goes ‘full hunk’“ by Ashley Pemberton.

Article: “Charles Booker (American politician)“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Charles Booker on Kentucky primary victory for US Senate race: ‘More work ahead’“ by Corey Elam.
Article: “Mahmoud Ahmadinejad“ (President of Iran 3 August 2005 – 3 August 2013) by Wikipedia.
Article: “Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action“ (JCPOA) (Iran nuclear deal) (14 July 2015) by Wikipedia.
Article: “Experts raise eyebrows over ‘Swiss cheese’ NY Times report claiming US, Israel eyed freeing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be Iran’s new leader“ by Caitlin Doornbos.
Article: “Former Iranian President Ahmadinejad Alive, Adviser Says“ by Matzav.com.

Has Israel’s Security Minister Crossed Every Line That’s Left?
Article: “Israeli security minister stirs diplomatic outrage with flotilla activist abuse video“ by Emma Graham-Harrison.

Bullies, Parasites and Slaves: Replacing Exploitation with Mutual Care
- George Koch
Book: Bullies, Parasites and Slaves: Replacing Exploitation with Mutual Care by George Byron Koch.

Article: “One Detainee in ICE Custody Dies Every 6 Days as Death Rate Nears Record Levels, Study Finds“ by Pedro Camacho.
Quote: “We’re all cremated equal.“ - Jane Ace.
Article: “Dachau“ by United States Holocaust Museum Holocaust Encyclopedia.
Bill: “H.R.2029 - Stop Comstock Act“ by Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large].
Bill: “S.951 - Stop Comstock Act“ by Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN].
Article: “Legal experts say latest Clarence Thomas dissent ‘shows just how far gone’ he is“ by Sarah K. Burris.
Site: “Project 2025“.
Article: “Autopsy of the autopsy: How the DNC’s 2024 post-mortem turned into a crisis“ by Edward-Isaac Dovere.
Article: “U.S. brought back $100 million of gold from Venezuela, Interior Secretary Burgum says“ by Spencer Kimball.
Article: “US gets first $500 million Venezuelan oil deal, holding some proceeds in Qatar“ by Shelby Talcott and Eleanor Mueller.

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Hour Three: National Progressive Townhall Meeting taking your calls
- Representative Mark Pocan (D-WI, 2nd District) / Current Member & Chair Emeritus-Congressional Progressive Caucus / (Committees: Congressman Pocan serves on the House Committee on Appropriations / He is the Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Labor Caucus / Co-Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus / and, co-chair/ co-founder-Defense Spending Reduction Caucus) / Check out his weekly podcast, “With Liberty and Justice for Some“ (available on Apple Podcasts) @pocan.house.gov @repmarkpocan
Article: “This Memorial Day Weekend, Americans Will Spend $3.5 Billion More on Gas Thanks to Trump’s Iran War“ by Stephen Prager.
Article: “Memorial Day Cookouts Will Be 13% More Expensive This Year on Average Thanks to Trump’s Tariffs, Iran War“ by Julia Conley.
Article: “Senate Republicans Don’t Have the Votes to Fund Trump’s Ballroom“ by Igor Bobic and Al Weaver.
Article: “Mike Lindell And OAN Want Payouts From Slush Fund“ by Joe.My.God.
Article: “GOP civil war derails Trump’s billion-dollar ballroom plan“ by Joey Cappelletti.
Article: “Trump’s elections revenge crusade just saddled him with some crucial Republican foes in Congress“ by John Bowden.
Article: “Rep. Kevin Kiley leaves GOP to become an independent, complicating Johnson’s majority“ by Caitlin Yilek.
Law: “25th Amendment Section 4“ (presidential succession). “Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.“
Events: “Upcoming 2026 Town Halls“ by Mark Pocan.
Article: “Resign-to-run law“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Thomas Massie“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Congressional Budget Office Scores Medicare-For-All: Universal Coverage For Less Spending“ by Adam Gaffney, David Himmelstein, and Steffie Woolhandler.
Article: “The smoking guns in Trump’s new financial disclosure“ by Judd Legum.
Site: Indivisible.
Site: MoveOn.org.
Site: “No Kings“.
Article: “DOJ addendum to Trump settlement ends any IRS audits of him and his family“ by Alexander Mallin, Peter Charalambous, and Katherine Faulders.
Article: “News headlines adopted Trump’s deceptive framing of his new $1.8 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund“ by Dan Froomkin.
Article: “Thompson, Ways & Means Democrats Introduce Bill To Tax President’s Corrupt Slush Fund For January 6 Rioters“ by Mike Thompson.
Article: “Pocan to Introduce the Tax the Grift Act“ by Mark Pocan.
Article: “There Are Reportedly Serious Concerns About John Fetterman’s Health Following His Stroke“ by Joe Wilkins.
Article: “GI Bill of Rights: A Profitable Investment for the United States“ by Labor Party.
Article: “Medicare To Test Prior Authorizations In 6 States As Part Of A Pilot Program“ by KFF Health News.
Article: “Fentanyl“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “United States strikes on alleged drug traffickers during Operation Southern Spear“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Big promises, thin results from Trump’s China trip“ by Phelim Kine and Alex Gangitano.
Article: “Three key takeaways from Putin’s Beijing trip — and what they reveal about China-Russia ties“ by Anniek Bao.
Article: “Democracy’s Hidden Guardians: The Shadow Cabinet That Could Save America from Billionaire Rule“ by Thom Hartmann.
Article: “Democratic National Committee (DNC) “ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Ken Martin“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Scott MacFarlane (journalist)“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Ben Wikler“ by Wikipedia.