Lee Fang, The Intercept, joins Thom. the budget deal passed by the House last week had a lot of progressives breathing a sigh of relief as Social Security and Medicare were spared from unnecessary cuts.

Melinda St. Louis, Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch joins Thom. Democratic Representative Lloyd Doggett from Texas has joined with four other U.S Representatives to call for the release of the final text of the Transpacific Partnership. Representative Doggett has sent two letters over the last month to the US Trade Representative and Ambassador Michael Froman. And last week - Representative Doggett a rally calling for a release of the full text - and he was joined by Roxy the Bloodhound - who's supposed to help "sniff out" the secret text.

Oscar Chacon, Alianza Americas (formerly NALACC), joins Thom. For the 24th year in a row the UN General Assembly has called on the United States to lift the Cuban Embargo/ But does that mean anything to Republicans in Congress - who are still the main obstacle to ending the ban on business with Cuba?

Gianno Caldwell, Caldwell Strategic Consulting joins Thom to discuss what's going on with the Republican Party - and if the Republican party can even be considered a coherent political party.

Thom discusses the GOP candidate’s call for more control over the debates with GOP strategist Gianno Caldwell, a win for debt collectors via the House budget deal with The Intercept’s Lee Fang, and record radiation at a Fukushima power plant with Beyond Nuclear’s Kevin Kamps. In tonight's “Daily Take” Thom discusses why fascism is alive and well in modern day America.

Tonight’s Progressive Roundtable discusses Hillary’s smearing of Bernie as a sexist, Rubio’s courting of billionaire Sheldon Adelson, and the U.S. sending troops to Syria. And Thom dissects the GOP candidates lies about Social Security with Social Security Works’ Alex Lawson.

Professor Carla Shedd, Columbia University/Unequal City, joins Thom. There is a growing presence of police in the classroom. Is this harming our children?

Dr. Michael Mann, Earth System Science Center-Penn State University/Dire Predictions: Understanding Climate Change (2nd edition) joins Thom. Climate Scientist Thomas Karl has been accused by House Science Committee Chair Lamar Smith of playing a part in a vast conspiracy - all for publishing a groundbreaking study on global warming. Why are oil companies and their Republican lapdogs in Congress waging a war on science? And what kind of effect is that war having on valuable environmental research?

The evidence just keeps mounting that it's time for us to stop treating healthcare like a commodity.

Christy Setzer, New Heights Communications & Neil McCabe, One America News both join Thom. Wednesday night's Republican debate was full of fireworks - and misinformation about the economy. We'll break down some of the biggest lies.

And the very, very ugly! Ted Nugent If there's an awful narrative in the media - you can count on Ted Nugent to find a way to make it even worse. Take the student who was thrown to the ground and dragged out of her desk in South Carolina earlier this week. Ted Nugent's ugly attitude is summed up in the blog post that he titled: "That High-School Brat Had it Coming." And he ends it with - "Act like an animal and you will end up being treated like an animal." In that one statement - Nugent manages to be racist - fascist - AND pro-animal abuse.

Professor Ann Marie Gardinier Halstead, Bucket Filling Fairy joins Thom. What has been missing or problematic about bullying prevention programming up to this point?

Thom discusses Paul Ryan officially becoming Speaker and last night’s bizarre GOP debate with progressive Christy Setzer and conservative Neil McCabe. Thom talks bullying prevention with professor Ann Marie G. Halstead, author of the new children’s book “Bucket Filling Fairy,” and in tonight’s Daily Take Thom discusses how it's time for us to stop treating health care like a commodity.

Negotiators from around the world are preparing to meet in Paris to try to hash out a climate agreement in just a few months. But world leaders are saying that they probably won't consider the easiest solution that would reduce carbon emissions and make the fossil fuel industry pay.

Scott Greer, The Daily Caller & Sam Sacks, The District Sentinel & Hughey P. Newsome, Move-On-Up/The Objective Citizen joins Thom Hartmann. Donald Trump has been spending months running on the platform that he doesn't need money from billionaires or average Americans - because he's really rich. And that's about the most coherent platform any of the Republican candidates have announced. Between candidates who want to gut Medicare and candidates who want students to turn their professors over to Koch-funded authorities for engaging in liberal political speech - the Republican party is looking less and less coherent as a party. But it's pretty clear that all of the Republican candidates share one common goal - to help make billionaires like the Koch's richer. So - what's happened to the GOP? Have the billionaires made dysfunctional the new normal for the GOP - so that it's not even a viable political party anymore?