June 11 - The Uncertain Political Situation in the UK; An Analysis of the Impeachment Process; What is Behind the Hate Marches Across America?

Full Program

Part 1

We begin with political uncertainty in the U.K. following an inconclusive election that was another catastrophic miscalculation by a Conservative leader following David Cameron’s fateful miscalculation to call for the Brexit referendum. Craig Calhoun, the Global Distinguished Professor at New York University and Centennial Professor and former head of the London School of Economics who is now the President of the Berggruen Institute joins us. We  discuss whether Prime Minister Theresa May, who former Tory Chancellor George Osborne called a “dead woman walking”, can put together a government with the D.U.P., the tiny ultra-conservative Northern Ireland Unionist party, and whether in doing so she will undermine the “Good Friday Agreement” that has brought peace between the north and south of Ireland which could be threatened by putting up a wall along a border that has been largely erased by cross-border commerce.

Part 2

Then we examine whether there is a real possibility of an impeachment against President Trump happening soon as the special counsel Robert Mueller begins an investigation that is impacted daily by new revelations in the press, not to mention recent testimony by fired FBI Director Comey and contradictory claims by Trump that Comey both vindicated him in his testimony and lied. Lisa Kern Griffin, a professor of law at Duke University who clerked for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Conner and was a federal prosecutor in the Chicago United States Attorney’s Office, joins us to offer a practical assessment of the complexity and duration of Mueller’s investigation that may be completed around the time of the 2018 elections.

Part 3

Then finally we look into the explosion of hate and ignorance erupting around the country as “March Against Sharia” demonstrations took place in St. Paul, Seattle, Washington, New York City and San Bernardino, California, attracting counter-demonstrations that led to violence and a massive deployment of police to separate the sides. Brian Levin, a criminologist, professor of criminal justice and Director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, joins us to discuss why a non-existent threat such as Sharia Law is inspiring right wing hate groups to emerge from the fringes.