OFF-KILTER with Rebecca Vallas

This week, President Trump released his long-awaited, so-called tax plan—er, page. Max Ehrenfreund of WonkBlog joins with the nitty-gritty. Also this week, a judge blocked Trump’s order targeting sanctuary cities, and the Department of Homeland Security had an epic X-Files moment. Esther Lee of ThinkProgress updates us on the latest on the immigration front. And finally, in the latest installment of our #ResistanceWorks series, two New York-based artists join to discuss Occupy Museums—and how artists are bringing resistance (and their debt) into their art.

With Bill O’Reilly finally booted from Fox News following a string of sexual harassment accusations, Rebecca kicks off this week’s episode with a proper farewell to him, featuring Rebecca Lenn of Media Matters for America (and per usual, Jeremy Slevin). Next, on the heels of Tax Day, Vanessa Williamson, author of Read My Lips: Why Americans Are Proud to Pay Taxes, unpacks how taxes became a four-letter word—and how Americans really feel about paying their taxes. Later in the show, Mara Pellittieri shares the story behind her powerful essay "I'm a Queer Woman. My Best Friend Is a Gay Man. We Almost Got Married Anyway"—and how the legal system doesn’t gel with chosen family. And finally, with nearly 99 percent of low-income Mississippi residents who apply for income assistance turned away empty-handed, Bryce Covert of ThinkProgress joins to explain what’s behind these alarming numbers.

Show description: Does another government shutdown loom ahead? Harry Stein, the Center for American Progress's budget guru, joins Rebecca and The Slevs to share the skinny on tax reform, budget fights, and the possibility of yet another government shutdown. Next, Dylan Matthews of Vox unpacks why it’s such a big deal that Sesame Street now has an autistic character. And finally, as part of our #ResistanceWorks series, Ezra Levin of Indivisible talks about what’s behind the Tax March and what’s on deck for the resistance. Follow this week's guests on Twitter: Harry Stein: @HarrySteinDC Dylan Matthews: @dylanmatt Ezra Levin: @ezralevin Jeremy Slevin: @jeremyslevin

Everyone’s talking about Neil Gorsuch, President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee. Gorsuch’s confirmation hearings were this week, and coincided with a unanimous ruling by all eight justices that he was wrong about a major disability ruling he made in 2008. To unpack these hearings and discuss what the Democrats’ next moves are, Rebecca is joined by Ian Millhiser, Justice Editor of ThinkProgress. Getting a lot less play in the media is Alexander Acosta, Trump’s second pick for labor secretary, whose hearings were also held this week. Judy Conti of the National Employment Law Project joins to talk about Acosta’s civil rights record and what it means for the future of labor. Next, celebrity chef and founder of Food Policy Action Tom Colicchio discusses how celebrities are pushing back against Trump’s policies. And finally, Alan Fosnacht—a member of Indivisible Michigan—calls in with the skinny on Rep. Dave Trott’s ugly hot mic moment and how Republicans are feeling the heat from the resistance.

It’s not just U.S. politicians considering major cuts to programs that serve struggling families. Mary O’Hara, a columnist with The Guardian, joins with an update on how austerity is playing out in the United Kingdom. Next, Sara Goldrick-Rab, author of Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream, sheds light on the overlooked issue of hunger on college campuses—and how the current financial aid system is failing many low-income students. Finally, continuing our #ResistanceWorks series, Rebecca speaks with an activist from a New Jersey chapter of Indivisible to get the inside scoop on how they helped flip their Republican Congressman on Trumpcare. But first, with efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act dead for now, Rebecca and Jeremy sit down with Topher Spiro, CAP’s health guru, to talk about what’s next for healthcare.

President Trump released his first budget, which proposes dramatic cuts to nutrition, housing, job training, legal services, and more. Meanwhile, Republicans have declared war on a critical tool for enforcing legal rights and protections: the class action lawsuit. Sharon Dietrich, a longtime legal aid lawyer and class action litigator, joins to unpack what these proposals would mean for access to justice. Next up, the latest shoe to drop in the GOP's efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act was a letter quietly sent to governors that does not bode well for the future of Medicaid. But first, Harry Stein, the Center for American Progress’s beloved budget guru, joins Rebecca and Jeremy to walk through the winners and losers of Trump’s budget. Budget, Nutrition, Housing, Legal services, Job training, Affordable Care Act, Republicans, Spending cuts

After years of scrutiny and calls from advocates, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the closing of Rikers Island, the facility that embodies the very worst of our country’s failed experiment with mass incarceration. To discuss what’s behind this announcement and its significance for criminal justice reform, Rebecca speaks with Greg Berman, the Director of the Center for Court Innovation. Next, Washington Post reporter Perry Stein explains the controversy of D.C.’s missing black and Latina girls, and Kymone Freeman and Alex Lawson, co-founders of We Act Radio, join to discuss what other issues the mainstream media ignores or gets wrong—and the story behind the station's launch 5 years ago. Finally, Beverly Tuberville—formerly a lifelong Republican voter who went on to help found the Oklahoma chapter of Indivisible—joins the show. But first, Joe Soss, a professor at the University of Minnesota, talks about how disability beneficiaries have become the new welfare queens.