The middle class is becoming an endangered species in America. According to the latest census data - half of the country is now living in poverty or just scraping by in a low-income lifestyle. And this problem is being made worse as conservative Governors cut funding to critical social welfare programs. A survey of 29 mayors around America found that 1-in-4 Americans in need of food assistance did not receive any help.

Since the banksters wrecked our economy - 4 million homes have been foreclosed on - and each year more than one-and-a-half million children end up homeless. Meanwhile corporate CEOs saw a 40% increase last year in their pay. And at 25 of our biggest corporations, CEOs were paid more than the entire corporation paid in taxes.

And the folks at GOP TV still can't understand why people are occupying the streets? It's the inequality, stupid!

-Thom

(What do you think it will take for them to get it? Tell us here.)

The Daily Stack

Article: "Pay gap a $740bn threat to US recovery" by Robin Harding.

Article: "Declaration of Independence".

Site: "Rebuild the Dream" campaign.

Article: "U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Voting Rights Speech at LBJ Library & Museum" by Elana Estrin.

Twilight Zone alert: "Police arrest man accused of light saber assault at Toys R Us" by Eric Pfeiffer.

Video: "Martin Luther King, "Why I Am Opposed to the War in Vietnam" ".

Hour Two: Paul Ryan & Ron Wyden...unholy alliance?
- Carl Wolfson, Host of "Carl in the Morning" on Portland's AM 620 KPOJ

Article: "The Bipartisan Political Alliance That Will Turn The Fight Over Medicare On Its Head" by Brian Beutler & Benjy Sarlin.

Article: "Zany? Unreliable? Romney gets in some pre-debate Gingrich zingers" by Michael A. Memoli.

Article: "Jump in Life Expectancy Assumptions Drives Latest Social Security Projections" by Dean Baker.

Geeky Science rocks!
- Here's another reason why "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"

Geeky Science alert: "Scientists Discover Anti-Inflammatory Polyphenols in Apple Peels" by ScienceDaily.

Article: "Whither the Murdoch Primary" by Josh Marshall.

Article: "GOP’s Latest Radical List Of Demands May Force A Government Shutdown In Three Days" by Marie Diamond.

Talk Radio News Segment:
- Ellen Ratner, Bureau Chief

Book: "Self Empowerment: Nine Things the 19th Century Can Teach us About Living in the 21st " by B. Anne Gehman and Ellen Ratner.

Article: "Obama Administration Plan Would Raise Wages Of Home Health Care Workers" by Sam Hananel.

Article: "CCR Condemns Obama for Failure to Veto Dangerous Legislation That Strips Right to Trial" by Center for Constitutional Rights.

Article: "Feds Say Arpaio Violated Civil Rights" by AP / Jacques Billeaud.

Article: "Jobless Claims Drop Again" by Jeffrey Sparshott And Luca Di Leo.

Article: "Omnibus Spending Bill Held Up as Congress Dickers Over Riders and Restrictions" by Robert Pear.

Hour Three: The return of "debtor's prisons"...in America?!
- Marie Diamond, Think Progress

Article: "The Return Of Debtor’s Prisons: Thousands Of Americans Jailed For Not Paying Their Bills" by Marie Diamond.

Article: "Unpaid Bills Land Some Debtors Behind Bars" by Susie An.

Article: "The Bipartisan Tax Fairness and Simplification Act of 2011" by Ron Wyden.

The good: "Supreme Court Justice Pfeifer calls for abolishing death penalty" by William Hershey.

The bad: "Immigration Crackdown Also Snares Americans" by Julia Preston.

The very, very ugly: "Sen. McCain: US at risk of 'losing everything we gained' in Iraq" by Geneva Sands-Sadowitz.

Book: "Ayn Rand Hates Tuscaloosa, And You Too Joplin!" by George Kelley.

Video: "Ayn Rand - Faith vs Reason".

Article: "Obama opposes Ryan-Wyden plan" by Sam Baker.

Site: Move to Amend

Article: "Flag-lowering ends controversial U.S. Iraq mission".

Article: "Census shows 1 in 2 people are poor or low-income" by Hope Yen.

Article: "US mayors decry rise in poverty, homelessness" by AFP.

Article: "New Data: Obamacare Extended Health Coverage To At Least 2.5 Million Young Adults" by Igor Volsky.

Article: "Health care law changing behavior" by Kelly Kennedy.

Article: "Scott Walker recall nears needed signatures" by Mackenzie Weinger.

Article: "'Fountains' of methane 1,000m across erupt from Arctic ice - a greenhouse gas 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide".

Hour One: If it's Friday, it's "Brunch With Bernie"... the honorable Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will be here with all the news from our nation's capitol and as always he'll be spending the hour taking your calls and answering your questions too...

Plus, it's Anything Goes on Townhall Fridays where YOU choose the topics...

And the best of the rest of the news and your calls right here on...

The Thom Hartmann Program, your media support group for "we the people"...TAG, YOU'RE IT!!!!!!!!! (OCCUPY SOMETHING!!!!!!)

Read an excerpt here, and buy the book!