How the alt-right distorts the Russia investigation.

The Takeaway

Coming up on today’s show:

  • This week, after seven years of vowing to repeal and replace Obamacare, Republican leaders once again were forced to face the reality that they were coming up short. Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, who was special adviser for health policy in the Obama Administration and an architect of the Affordable Care Act, examines the alternatives being floated by Republicans, and what the potential pitfalls are.
  • Across the American West, wildfires are occurring more frequently and destroying more land than ever before. The culprit? Climate change, and a century of aggressive firefighting. Gary Ferguson is the author of “Land on Fire: The New Reality of Wildfire in the West.” He says wildfires in the West have changed dramatically, and the problem is here to stay.
  • Another questionable police shooting took place over the weekend in Minnesota, this time the victim was Justine Damond, a 40-year-old white woman from Australia. The details are still unclear, but after calling 911 to report an alleged assault in an alley outside her home, Damond was shot and killed by police officer Mohammad Noor. Nekima Levy-Pounds, a civil rights attorney, police reform activist, and candidate for mayor of Minneapolis, explains how the community is responding.
  • A day after signing on to extend the Iran Nuclear Deal, the Trump Administration slapped new economic sanctions on 16 Iranian entities and individuals over its ballistic missile program. Robin Wright, a distinguished scholar at the Wilson Center in Washington and the U.S. Institute of Peace, explains what you need to know. 
  • How have the alt-right and fringe conservative media sources been covering the investigation into possible Russian collusion with the Trump campaign? George Hawley, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Alabama author of the forthcoming book “Making Sense of the Alt Right,” answers. 
  • The Miami-Dade public library system is offering a digital program to help kids and teens spot fake news and be more educated media consumers. The News Literacy Program‘s “checkology” software is available internationally, and more and more schools and libraries are starting to take advantage. Jennifer Shipley, the librarian in charge of community engagement in Miami, says libraries can play a new role in the era of easily-accessible fake news.

This episode is hosted by Todd Zwillich.

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