A New Democratic Leader, Pruitt’s Carbon Love Affair, Revolutionary Films

Coming up on today’s show:

• The decision over who will lead the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is perhaps the most important question for whether the party can recover from its loss in 2016, and the bitter split that the primary contest forged. Howard Dean, chairman of the DNC from 2005 to 2009, a six term governor of Vermont, and former presidential candidate, looks ahead to what’s next for the Democratic Party. 

• Following Scott Pruitt’s confirmation as head of the EPA, thousands of emails have been released documenting the former Oklahoma attorney general’s ties to fossil fuel industry. Lisa Graves, director of the Center for Media and Democracy, explains. 

• The worst appears to be over for rain drenched San Jose, but residents are dealing with severe flood damage and are expecting more storms over the weekend. We look at the impact of California’s wettest winter in 20 years with Julia Sulek, reporter for the San Jose Mercury News.

• The 89th Annual Academy Awards will be held this coming Sunday evening. Melissa Locker, culture reporter for TIME, The Guardian, and The Takeaway, reviews the Oscars nominees for Best Original Song.

• This year marks the 50th anniversary of the release of “The Graduate,” “Bonnie and Clyde,” “In the Heat of the Night,” “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” and “Doctor Dolittle,” all of which were nominated for Best Picture. Mark Harris documented the production histories of all five films in his book “Pictures at a Revolution.” and sees this group of films as evidence of a transitional period in Hollywood with themes that tie to 2017.

• Caroline Light, a Harvard lecturer and author of “Stand Your Ground: A History of America’s Love Affair With Lethal Self-Defense,” examines the history of self-defense in the United States to better understand how it has been transformed from a right to a duty.