You're listening to High Plains Public Radio online that right now is made possible in part by the financial support of the community sponsors you hear mentioned on the air please find an occasion to thank them for their support. Republicans are on the brink of a major legislative win on taxes it looks like they have enough votes for them to hit 50 even if Cochran or McCain or both are out sex for Saturday December 16th this is All Things Considered from n.p.r. News. I'm Ray Suarez the final tax bill includes a repeal of the Affordable Care Act individual mandate we ask what that could mean for the health insurance market the most immediate effect is that people will be confused and we talk to Marshall Mathers you know him better as m. And m. His new album revival is his most political yet have I ever took it too far I probably have who knows and then there's times where sometimes I don't think I took a far enough 1st this news. Live from n.p.r. News in Washington I'm Janine Herbst looks like Republicans may have enough votes to pass their tax overhaul plan next week the House is scheduled to vote on Tuesday the Senate shortly after that President Trump speaking to reporters as he left for Camp David today says middle income people will benefit this really will mostly benefit the middle class and jobs companies companies are coming in deploring it to the country they've already started this will be great for jobs it'll be said that's good for the middle income people had for job the Democrats have criticized the bill as a giveaway to the wealthy and to corporations which will see the tax rate cut from 35 percent to 21 percent the bill will also repeal the Affordable Care Act mandate that everyone have health insurance or pay a fine Frederica's governor Ricardo or sales says he straightening out the island's finances Daniella a chance low reports of the governor's also pledging to reform Puerto Rico's Power Authority before Hurricane Maria hit in the September Frederico is more than $70000000000.00 in debt creditors say it's hard to consider forgiving that debt because the u.s. Territories finances are opaque governor of seo took office in January and he says he's clearing up the books a lot of the financial data was was sort of like boxed now we're working hard to rationalize it the make sense out of what was what happened in the past and to make sure that it doesn't happen again in the future he also said he'll take steps to reform the power authority including possibly privatization Rosales father served as governor and then have public debt with expensive projects for n.p.r. News I'm Danielle a child though in San Juan the leaders of Austria's new governing coalition of met the president after striking a deal that will make the country the only one in Western Europe to have a far right party in power a new government will be led by the conservative People's Party but as the B.B.C.'s Bethany Bell reports many important posts will go to anti immigrant. Freedom party the Freedom Party has traditionally been euro skeptic but Sebastian Cook is on track to be Austria's new leader has promised a form of praise e.u. Administration when the Freedom Party entered government back in 2000 other e.u. Countries impose short term diplomatic sanctions on Austria in price test that now reactions are likely to be more muted given the rise of other populist policies across Europe the B.B.C.'s Bethany Bell are right leaders from across Europe are gathering in Prague today for a conference to discuss alternatives to the European Union's Nevada Congress and Democratic Congressman Ruben Kihuen says he won't seek reelection this after allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior the freshman congressman denies the allegations telling the Las Vegas Review Journal that he will work with the House Ethics Committee they look forward to clearing his name you're listening to n.p.r. News from Washington in India a 6th generation member of the Nehru Gandhi family now takes the helm of the Congress party that's the country's main opposition party Rahul Gandhi and his party are up against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist b j p party the 2 will face off in elections in 2019. Peru's president Pedre Well Pablo Cruz is he is fighting for his political life another saw reports lawmakers are demanding that his in school resign or face impeachment over his failure to disclose payments from a verse 1000000000 company embroiled in a massive corruption scandal President Couzin Skee has long denied taking payments from older Brecht the Brazilian construction firm accused of bribing politicians throughout Latin America to win public works contracts but this week or back said it had paid $800000.00 to a cause in ski owned firm a decade before he was elected president it's. Like I need speech because in school denied any wrongdoing and refused to resign saying I'm not running and I'm not hiding because I have no reason to but his days in power could be numbered in a special session opposition lawmakers who control Peru's congress began the impeachment process for n.p.r. News I'm John Otis nearly a quarter of a 1000000 holiday resort placed on graves at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington d.c. Today the annual event organized by reached across America through a sizable crowd of volunteers the restrained in a caravan down from main organization says they will place 1200000 research on the country this is n.p.r. Support for n.p.r. Comes from n.p.r. Stations other contributors include Margo and John Ernst supporting North Country Public Radio in Canton New York and N.P.R.'s environmental coverage which helps to raise awareness on issues surrounding climate change and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting support comes from the Sternberg Museum of Natural History Hayes Kansas hands on learning in the discovery room where visitors can explore the wonders of nature more at Sternberg f.h. Eshoo dot edu no one knows what stories will unfold in 20 team but we do know that h.p. P.r. Will be there delivering news from home and around the globe thanks to the generosity of h p p our members. This is All Things Considered from n.p.r. News I'm Ray Suarez in for Michel Martin we're going to start the program today in Washington with the most sweeping tax overhaul in decades now seems poised for a vote next week the House and Senate released a final plan for the legislation which includes among other things temporarily lowering individual tax rates cutting the corporate tax rate from 35 to 21 percent and allowing homeowners to the dump the interest on mortgages of up to $750000.00 ultimately there was enough to convince holdouts in the Senate including Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida to get on board yesterday here to look ahead to next week's vote is n.p.r. Congressional reporter Kelsey Snell Welcome thank you so let's start with those holdouts How did the Republicans get Corcoran Rubio to drop their objections at the last minute yesterday well the 1st person I think is really important look at here is Rubio because he did get something out of this deal that they can fashion that they were able to achieve is that the refundable portion of the Child Tax Credit which is the credit that people can claim when they have children was increased to $400.00 Now that's mostly important for people who don't make enough money to have a tax bill at the end of the year but are working and paying payroll taxes on every paycheck so those people will be able to see a bigger check back from the i.r.s. At the end of the year now that was a critical thing for Rubio he's been campaigning for it since 2015 and I was added at the last minute to get him on board now Bob Corker is misgivings involved any package that would add significantly to the deficit he's already said he's not seeking reelection in 2018 the package does add to the deficit so what's in it for him well there's nothing specifically in a for him the way there was for Rubio but he's a businessman he is somebody who truly believe. Isn't the idea that cutting taxes and lowering barriers for businesses will make them create more jobs and so he says that he thinks on balance this tax bill will do that more than he originally anticipated I talked to him a little bit last week and he said his biggest concerns were on the individual side of the tax code he was worried that there were going to be too many tax cuts there but he seems to now think that on balance this is a good thing is this still the once in a generation tax reform speaker Paul Ryan has been promising it would be if Democrats weren't so dead set on reversing it sometime in the future it's entirely possible that Senator Hatch will make a very difficult decision at some point in time and say that if they're Ok allowing these tax breaks to increase So remember the individual side of the tax bill expires after 8 years Democrats could at some point in time say that you know they don't believe that these tax cuts are good for the economy and they could let them be reversed it could become another political fight in a very short amount of time and do we know with any precision when the actual vote is going to happen we don't know exactly what day but we're expecting sometime maybe Monday or Tuesday the Senate will start the process the goal is to have this all wrapped up by middle of the week next week is there any chance that the health of John McCain with that Cochran could interfere here Republicans were concerned for some time that the house so that least 2 of their senators might interfere with the vote but it looks like they have enough votes for them to hit 50 even if Cochran or McCain or both are out sex and p.r. Congressional reporter Kelsey Snow thanks a lot thank you we're going to continue our conversation about the Republican tax bill and focus on specific provisions in the bill affecting health care as we just heard the bill will repeal what's called the individual mandate a key part of the Affordable Care Act that requires people to buy health insurance or face a tax penalty to understand what effect this could have on the insurance market we're joined now by Julie Rovner why. Inten correspondent for Kaiser Health News Good to have you with us Julie nice to be here so what would be the most immediate effect of the repeal Well the most immediate effect is that people will be confused because they're actually repealing the penalties but not until 2019 so for next year people will still be required to either have health insurance or pay a penalty and of course yesterday was the end of open enrollment for most people in most states now when people leave the insurance market it must have some effect on the numbers that are very very carefully balanced for this law to work that's right that's the biggest concern that insurers have insurance were said when the Affordable Care Act was passed that if you're going to require us to accept sick people and not to charge them more you're going to have to have some way to get more healthy people into the pool that's what this mandate penalty was about insurers said at the beginning it wasn't big enough and in fact it hasn't really driven that many healthy people to sign up but there is a concern that if you take it away and don't replace it with anything at the moment there is no replacement in this bill that literally only sick people will buy insurance the only response for insurers at that point is either to raise premiums for magically or to drop out altogether one senator for whom the repeal of the mandated been a sticking point was Republican Susan Collins of Maine originally she noted that repealing the mandate would have consequences for the future stability of the individual market now she says she'll bath the tax bill if Congress acts on other health measures what are they well there's $2.00 and $1.00 of them would restore these payments that the president cut off last fall they go to insurers to reimburse them for discounts they have to give to their lowest income enrollees on the exchanges are called caution reduction payments but basically the insurers of already figured out how to get that money back. They've reached premium strategically and that made premium subsidies higher some basically the federal government is giving them back the money in other ways so most analysts think that it's probably too late for that to help the other thing that's in college asked for was reinsurance pool that would help insurers pay for their sickest customers most analysts think that would help but that the money that's being talked about is probably not enough Also it's not entirely clear that they could get this through the house even if they can get it through the Senate the tax bill it's understood widely will increase the deficit the argument is about how much but that means entitlement programs may be under some pressure that we know how the bill could affect Medicare yes we do Medicare could be cut by billions of dollars that can be waived by Congress but it takes 60 votes the Republicans assume the Democrats will come along because they don't want cuts to Medicare which the Democrats don't but Democrats are warning that they may play hardball on this and that Republicans should not assume that they're going to vote to waive these cuts which are automatic if the deficit is raised to the Senate would be by this tax bill Julie Rovner is Washington correspondent for Kaiser Health News Julie thanks for joining us you're most welcome fetus transgender science based These are just 3 of the 7 words and phrases the trumpet ministration has reportedly banned the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from using in any official documents for next year's budget is according to reporting from The Washington Post we called one of the reporters at The Post who wrote the story Lena Sun Thanks for joining us you're welcome now to be clear this isn't a blanket ban the prohibition only refers to words used in budget documents which any administration has discretion over but why would the administration want to be so specific about what words to avoid in budget proposals from the c.d.c. . That is a very good question and we have been trying to get the answer to that. But. As you know we are now in the budget process where federal agencies are drafting their narrative and sending them higher up the chain and then ultimately the president's budget is presented to Congress and early February and that process is overseen by the Office of Management and Budget is and then you know instructions flow down from there to the agencies the c.d.c. Is part of h.h.s. And as part of the budget process the normal budget process these budget analysts were told last week. Well as you're drafting fast these here are the words you should be avoiding. And the 3 words that were getting bounced back in written drafts were entitled meant diversity and vulnerable and then in addition the c.d.c. Budget official told the participants there are additional words that were going to be conveyed verbal e. And those were the this transgender evidence based and science based in some instances the c.d.c. Official gave an alternative for for some words for example instead of saying evidence based or science based there was sort of this clunky longer phrase saying the c.d.c. Relies on science bases its recommendations on science in consideration with community standards and wishes just kind of long in other cases there were no replacement words that were immediately offered Have you gotten any reaction from people at the c.d.c. Who in budget proposals will have to account for let's say I don't know funding for Zico research without using the word fetus or discussed on vaccinated communities without calling them vulnerable No I haven't but the person who told me this indicated that this in. Amazing was being provided to the small group of folks who dropped the budget document called budget narratives which describe what an agency's mission is you know what it does and what its vision is for the future the broader pool of scientists and researchers don't take part in that So I think by now because this story has gotten quite a bit of traction people are aware we have received tons of emails from outraged scientists and researchers and advocacy groups about the use of or or you know why these words should not be used we have only a short time left have you been able to figure out whether in previous administrations words have been prohibited from c.d.c. Or any other budget. My my understanding from the reporting so far is that. Words. Words that might have an ideological bent or be controversial like fetus or transgender this kind of restriction on language has not happened before at least at the c.d.c. You know Sun She's a national reporter at The Washington Post thanks a lot Lena You're welcome and n.p.r. Reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services which oversees the c.d.c. For a statement h.h.s. Spokesman Matt Lloyd responded with the quote you are listening to High Plains Public Radio established to enrich the educational cultural and community life of the high plains our programs reinforce this mission statement every day on the air or online at h.p. Dot org. This week on art of the song we visit with award winning Canadian songwriter David Brant after spending much of his like a carpenter. Interview David a part of the concert conversation. In Mexico this week an artist song Saturday evening at 11 federal. Hello this is Trevor Hansen Garden City and you're listening to members of Portage High Plains Public Radio. I'm Janine hurts with these headlines Republican congressional leaders say they have the votes needed to pass their overhaul of the nation's tax code the g.o.p. Is hoping to push through Congress next week before the year ends President Trump today told reporters the bill is a gift to the middle class reclaim Democrats and many economists dispute South Africa's ruling party is expected to unveil its new leader tomorrow Jacob Zuma 2nd term as party president is over and thousands of delegates have gathered to elect his successor and police in Canada are treating the deaths of the Canadian pharmaceuticals billionaire and his wife as suspicious the bodies of 75 year old Barry Sherman the founder of Pop attacks and his wife Honey were found at their home in Toronto they were one of Canada's wealthiest couples I'm Johnny Herbst n.p.r. News in Washington. Support for n.p.r. Comes from this station and from the Union of Concerned Scientists putting rigorous independent science to work for a healthy planet and a safer world more at u.c.s.f. USA dot org from Babble a language app that teaches real life conversations in a new language including Spanish French and German battles 10 to 15 minute lessons are available in the app store or online and Babel be a b b e l dot com and from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Gates Foundation dot org . This is All Things Considered from n.p.r. News I'm Ray Suarez Now we'll head into the barbershop where we talk to interesting people about what they're thinking about this week sitting in the chairs for a shape up of the week's news we have Julia Craven She covers race in America for Huff Post Hi Julia next Jennifer Rubin writer at The Washington Post conservative Right Turn blog Jennifer welcome nice to be here and drew Elance she's a street strategist and founder of the Ilands group and served as a senior official at the e.p.a. In President Obama's administration welcome to the program good to be here all right 1st up this week the Alabama Senate race no surprise there Democrats Doug Jones won in this deeply red state his opponent Roy Moore faced allegations of sexual misconduct in the last weeks of the campaign Jennifer Rubin let me start with you this was a close race Doug Jones wasn't projected to win by many posters What has the g.o.p. Learned from this loss I'd like to think they lost and learn something unfortunately I think they haven't learned very much the inclination is to write this off as an anomaly that one more was a deeply flawed candidate even before the allegations of child molestation came out and that they just need to pick better candidates would be their takeaway I think that's full hardy they should look at the pattern that was set I think in Virginia continued in Alabama where Republican enthusiasm has declined you see this coalition of college educated all women young people and non white voters and that they are turning out in huge numbers in a backlash against Donald Trump and the Republican Party and I think they're whistling to a graveyard if they think this isn't going to continue into 2900 well as you mentioned after the election hashtags black women started trending on Twitter as people thanked black women voters exit. Polls showed 98 percent of African-American women in Alabama went for Doug Jones black voters were a greater share of Alabama's electorate than they are in the state's population Julie you wrote this week that the power of the African-American vote has been taken for granted by Democrats will this election at least start to change that I'm not that optimistic that things will start to change. Pretty much what we saw in Alabama was black women black people mobilized one another and got each other to the polls which is what we always see and the Democratic Party has historically taken that for granted and his soul wasn't Doug Jones and Joe Trippi it was people getting themselves out yeah there was this thread on Twitter I forgot who did it about how to in double a c.p. M. Oh Bill they went through the list of people who didn't vote in the 2016 general and they called all of them to see how they could help them get out to vote and it was a little black voters just to see what they can do to mobilize this demographic further in an off year election $78.00 an 80 percent turnout in precincts you don't even get that in a general election time Drew after the 2016 election there was a lot of discussion about whether or not the Democratic Party should lean into so-called identity politics or stay away from it Tom Perez head of the d.n.c. Tweeted black women are the backbone of the Democratic Party and we can't take that for granted period does Alabama's race make a case for stopping the hand-wringing over so-called identity politics I was absolutely It pains me to see you know a lot of times I think about identity politics as I think about diversity and inclusion and I think we've tried to make identity politics such a negative term when all actuality it is we are speaking to different sectors of voters to their needs and their concerns it doesn't mean that you negate the. Body else as much as you are saying here is what we are going to do for you also though stop waiting on hearing from what you're going to do for us we're going to tell you here's what we expect and your policies and legislation should reflect that and one thing I wanted to go back to is I'm a native of Alabama Birmingham Alabama part and I kept telling everyone and even African-Americans in Alabama that is not enough of us to flip the state and I disagreed with that because if we not only energize and mobilize our sales we should have to wait on a party we should have to wait on anyone else and get engaged in our civic responsibility to say listen we do not want that person to reach to represent us but it also Doug Jones as a candidate had a relationship with the African-American community and so when you look at that the in the Black Sea He had no corms without actually going out and saying across the state we want you to do this you also had organizations like black voters matter as well as the black tax who said we're going to contribute and fond this initiative to make sure that churches are able to register people to vote they did a distinct they did a clear it was also in part with Doug Jones campaign as well as the rest of those organizations I mentioned to say listen we're going to make a drill down a message and he also went to those small counties to those small charges and big charges to make sure he said we're going to get that vote out and we want you know I'm here for you Jennifer is from your initial remarks it sounds like the Republican Party is ignoring what what are 2 other guests saying. Sadly I think that's right just to go back to what true is saying I think Ted Jones said something that the Republican Party should do looking ahead which is he not only mobilized and had mobilized for him African-Americans but he campaigned on bread and butter issues pale to moderate Republicans to many women who now find themselves completely disaffected from. The Republican Party and there's always been presented as this either or Either you mobilize the base or you appeal to the center of the political and that's I think that's a false choice frankly and I think Doug Jones shows that it's a false choice and not Northam showed it's a false choice in Virginia says the Republican Party I think they as you see from this tax bill they have learned really nothing they are doubling and tripling down they think their base is going to save them they somehow think that they will. I think go. Create a confusion among the voters as to what the tax bill actually says I think they are counting on low turnout from African-American voters who traditionally in midterms have not turn out large numbers so I would like to think that they've had a come to Jesus moment literally a slow speed of light I don't think that is happening and I think it's going to take really across the board huge losses in 2018 before it dawns on them that this new Banon. Republican Party is a disaster another big headline this week hip hop mogul Russell Simmons is being publicly accused of sexual misconduct and rape Simmons denies the allegations but he's been such a powerful force Trulia in a music genre known for treating women in a way that can be hard to differentiate from harassment sometimes harassment right on the t.v. Screen I wonder what effect this could have on the industry. Well one thing I want to say is that I don't want to characterize hip hop as the only John or that treats women like Mary none absolutely none I just want to put that out there because it's not it's not the only one. But as far as the industry goes Could you just explain a little bit what she mean by how the industry will change in light of Russell Simmons Well yes and when you have somebody who is such a large force in the creation of the industry and in locating acts produce. Picking the next generation of stars does it change that whole process when someone so central to the creation of a music you know obviously is a lot of people but after all he is the co-founder of Def Jam he's not a a nobody does this. Send us shiver through that whole industry no I don't think I don't think powerful men being accused or stepping down because they've done bad things to women changes in industry I don't think it changes any industry really so there's no message going out there's nobody who's a peer of Harvey Weinstein who's saying to themselves Oh I hope people I've done this who don't talk of course I think that's I think people are worried about that but I don't think that. That's going to change I think the only thing that really changes more people more women or men who have been sexually assaulted or there's been sexual misconduct in an industry a workplace Filmore comfortable to come forward but I think you still as a woman we still operate in a male dominated society now dominate the industry my concern is maybe what happens as far as a backlash especially in the workplace the system change they're going to be any institutional changes because of what nobody's going to change their behavior nobody's going to take notice I mean I may be I may be taking my future in my head . The behavioral changes will be things like oh well maybe I just didn't deal with women like he said to be. Vice President I think the central problem here is that we don't look at this in a vacuum this is a residual effect of the industry in which men dominate to a disproportional sense so in less you're going to get that core problem you're not going to get at the residual effects one of which is sexual harassment there's other effects as well paid to some differential to all sorts of issues but I think the problem is when you look at the entertainment assume you look at the news industry that's been hit as well when you look at politics it is still a largely male dominated structure and till you have large numbers of women in positions of authority that framework is not going to change and you will still have their effect powerful men abusing less powerful women that Jennifer Rubin of The Washington Post we could go on for another half hour but we can't Julia Craven of Huff Post Andrew Ilands of the lines Group thank you everyone thank you. We're going to take a moment now to remember a Titan among the waves and we're not talking about Poseidon we're talking about documentary filmmaker Bruce Brown who died last week at the age of 80 as N.P.R.'s alexy Horowitz Gazi reports Brown's 1966 surfing documentary The Endless Summer sealed his status as one of the sport's greatest evangelists Bergmann of the boards and Fellini of the foam that's how Time magazine and The New York Times respectively described surfer turn documentary filmmaker Bruce Brown in 1966 the year the endless summer hit film screens across the country many servers by summer and winter but the also the bigger most of it would be to have an endless summer warm water. Without the summer showers California that's Bruce Brown himself narrating the film on its face the Endless Summer is the story of 2 young surfers on a search for the world's tastiest waves but as Matt Warshaw author of the Encyclopedia of surfing sees it it was really more of a love letter to surfing itself Bruce Brown will be remembered in the world of surfing as the guy that essentially introduced what real surfing is to the rest of the world the guy that kind of let everybody else in on our great secret were shot says that in the early 1960 s. Popular depictions of surfing in movies like good shit and Beach Blanket Bingo didn't do the sport justice surfers were mostly depicted as goofball teenagers or juvenile delinquents and many surfers felt the story of the sport deserve to be told by one of their own Bruce Browne 1st and foremost was a surfer from Southern California Brown got his break in his early twenty's when he convinced a California surfboard manufacturer to fund his 1st feature length documentary he spent the next several years cutting his teeth as a filmmaker before his big hit the endless summer when people didn't realize that he'd been practicing to make that movie he's been doing essentially drafts of that movie for almost 5 years we're just as the Endless Summer capture something essential. About the joy of surfing the media both appeal to surfers and non surfers alike that made it a genre defining self the ultimate thing to do in surfing is actually covered up by the way. And here goes way doing the ultimate thing. You know if you're ever going to turn to someone who's never served and say This is why I've heard from this is what it's like the intro to the endless summer I think is still the finest thing you can give to somebody as an introduction to the thing you can show The Fantasticks beat and that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach. I couldn't help but think of the hundreds of years these ways must have been breaking here but until the day no one had ever written what Bruce Browne eventually stepped away from filmmaking After garnering an Oscar nomination for a later documentary about motorcycling he spent the following decades pursuing his other passions swordfishing golfing and rally car racing chasing a different kind of endless summer in many ways he succeeded and with his films Bruce Brown brought countless others along for the ride alexy Horowitz got the n.p.r. News. This is n.p.r. News. Last year the United Kingdom kicked off an era of uncertainty in the western world when it voted to leave the European Union and yesterday the u.k. Took a major step forward on the road to Brecht's it when European leaders agreed to talks with the u.k. On a new trading relationship with the e.u. To make sense of yesterday's decision and how it fits with the turbulent last year and a half we turn to N.P.R.'s Frank Langfitt who's just returned from his post in London from Brussels the headquarters city of the European Union Hi Frank. Why does the agreement to have trade talks matter so much who was it so it sort of tells the u.k. Is continuing to move forward towards leaving the e.u. This is continuing to go ahead but you know if you look at the kind of the big picture it's symbolic of changes that really started in the summer of 2016 and a big change happened since then he number that directed vote it was a big shock stocks dropped around the world and one reason was seeing the u.k. Actually walk away from something that it helped build the sort of Western post World War 2 architecture for peace and prosperity in Europe and seeing it walk away really and saying basically you know we're better off on our own that really really rattled people here and elsewhere and then you have these right wing populus in France in the Netherlands they were pushing to leave the e.u. And there was this fear in Brussels that you know the 28 nation trading bloc was actually going to fall apart and risk a lot worse instability in this part of the world I've been in Britain a couple of times since the vote and talked to people at each time who felt that there was still a chance that it might not happen how does the decision look today and has it entered a sort of point of no return but that's a great question I mean 1st it's not going well at all you know you came prime minister treason May is much weaker than she was so President of really kind of tearing up politics here. In terms of a point of no return that's an excellent question and there was a sense here that if they tried to do with people would be so upset because this came out of a referendum and they would feel that this was denying the democratic will of the people here in the United Kingdom on the other hand if you talk to people in the e.u. They might welcome of back if they change their mind but they only have so much time it's is all going to run out they have to leave in March of 200-1000 but everybody watching it very closely and I think it would also be the economics of the United Kingdom which is been suffering since the press the decision now to state the obvious but it's never a bad idea the u.s. Is not a member of the e.u. Why should Americans be paying attention to breakfast does it mean anything on this side of the Atlantic I think it does in a way that people wouldn't necessarily imagine and that that breaks it is weakening America's closest ally abroad remember you know we fought a war with the Brits speak the same language have the shared values and with President Trump looking inward himself you know the u.s. Influence is declining worldwide as well as this very important power of ours and if you look more broadly you've got a more aggressive China a more assertive Russia and there's a sense that one thing the West doesn't need right now is is fragmentation once the British have managed to extricate themselves from the e.u. Will they be looking to make a deal with the United States they do and it was you know it's really interesting to read the making saying oh this is going to balance out we're going to do really well with a deal with the u.s. The fact of the matter is the trade barriers are already very low with the u.s. And Europe she's going to be dealing with Donald Trump who's not known for giving you know sweetheart deals to people he crafts and stuff is a very very tough negotiator so the idea that the u.s. Economy is going to really help out Britain I think most people here certainly economists think that's not very likely That's N.P.R.'s Frank Langfitt in London thanks a lot Frank have a do re. This is n.p.r. News. I spritz really the show is back at the town hall this weekend and what a lineup we have for you Jeff Tweedy will be here the state of y. Music critic Tom top will be there with his report from out in America plus Punch Brothers in the house my beloved post others join us with Sarah Josaphat humor from our acting company our instance our request at a brand new song of the week. Saturday evening at 5 central. Do you enjoy listening to loud promotional advertising on commercial radio of course not that's one of the many reasons you listen to h.p. P.r. And or Bing highlights your business without the hype more at h.p. P.r. Dot org h.p. P.r. Will be there for you and your community every day next year at a time when responsible journalism is needed more than ever your year in the gift reinforces this mission at h p p r dot org I'm Jane Hurst with these headlines a troubling ministration rule that allows employers to exclude contraception coverage in their health care plan is on hold a federal judge's halting enforcement for now Republican lawmakers say they now have the votes they need to pass a written Sile the House Senate tax code overhaul bill a vote is expected in the House today in the Senate is expected to take up the bill shortly after President from today said it will help the economy he plans to hold meetings with cabinet members about the bill this weekend at Camp David in Norway has now shut down all of its national f.m. Radio broadcasts replacing them with digital radio that means many Norwegians are having to buy new radios local radio stations so are continuing f.m. Broadcasts for now I'm joining her n.p.r. News in Washington. Support for n.p.r. Comes from this station and from Subaru with the 10th annual share the love of and through January 2nd more information about the event and the not for profit organizations that it supports is that Subaru dot com slash share love it's what makes a Subaru a super And from Progressive Insurance offering its home quote explore so shoppers can evaluate options in one place when buying home insurance custom quotes and rates are available online learn more at progressive dot com. This is All Things Considered from n.p.r. News I'm Ray Suarez we're going to hear now about a new play by Tracy Letts he won the Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award in 2008 for his Broadway hit August Osage County his new work The minutes is at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater it's about politics the secrets government officials hide and the fraud compromises they often make in the course of doing business but it's then Weisman reports the minutes has nothing to do with Washington politics Tracy Letts says by the time the 26000 election happened he was almost finished writing the minutes it was a job of work to keep the blinders on and not make the play about Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton or actually to escape into the world to play during that political moment this great was solace Stephanus artistic director initially Piro says the minutes with dollars for her to let center the play just a few weeks after the election and I read it and I laughed out loud really hard for the 1st time since the 1st week of November. And then I cried and the minutes is a dark comedy with echoes of surely Jackson's classic horror story the lottery that's the one where everyone in a village gathers for an annual ritual which ends with stoning one of their neighbors to death let says he brought up Jackson story with the cast during rehearsals a reference to lottery and a reference Rosemary's Baby at the ritual in the minutes is a city council meeting in a medium sized midwestern town a new council member a young transplant from the coast has just come back from burying his mother he missed a meeting while he was gone and he quickly gets the sense that it might have been eventful as people trickle in he asked another council member to something else with this a car. Who spoke of 20 don't you spoke a little I'm speaking to you you spoke of no discovery but you thank you very much just now coming over a call from Mr Carr you really don't know anything I really don't want to so long to come what it takes most of the play to get the unsettling answer to that question what happened to Mr Carter it plays out in one long seam the council meeting with most of the cast on stage the whole time ensemble playing is Steppenwolf specialty and that's who's also an actor has been a member of the company for 15 years the minutes his 7th played to premier here it was Steppenwolf production of August Osage County that ran on Broadway for a year and a half he says the company's process is crucial to how it plays develop my plays here are prodded tested questioned by people who are there all very well versed in interrogating the new play some of those people choose to work with Steppenwolf even when they can get bigger paychecks and bigger audiences elsewhere. My name's Phil Graham I work with a little and that's the voice of William Petersen who starred in the hit t.v. Show c.s.i. Peter Thynne is a Chicago area native and a Steppenwolf ensemble member he fur. Performed with the company more than 35 years ago he plays the mayor in the minutes and says taking the role was an easy decision I felt that it had meaning and impact and it was entertaining and it allowed us to look at ourselves in a different way than we have been over the last 12 months it's Peterson's character the mayor who ultimately allows the truth to come out and with evening everyone and welcome home Madam clerk whom please call the role what happened to the missing council member and why the answer involves community complicity in the creation of one that hides how the town was really founded and on whose backs the young councilman is appalled at the mayor makes a pitch you're a new dad before you commit to rocking this boat remember your daughter's in it too the mayor gets the place best lines and playwright Tracy Letts says that's the point it's easy to vilify people for their ideas it's easy to demonize them I was more interested in the idea that let's listen to his vision of the world test it see if you agree or if you disagree are you complicit or not complicit the minutes will test Chicago audiences with that uncomfortable question through January 7th then there's been talk of moving the play to Broadway for n.p.r. News I'm Dan Weissman. I mentioned earlier Michel Martin is out today but we couldn't keep her out of the studio for today's final conversation and we should warn you you'll hear some colorful language which has been bleeped our next guest has been called many things brilliant controversial shocking he's been criticized as much as he's been celebrated but here is one thing that's not a prescription he's the best selling hip hop artist of all time with 15 Grammys and an Academy Award to his name. One of my. What we're talking about none other than Marshall Mathers as he's better known Eminem it's been more than 18 years since he hit the big time with that song he's 45 now with a new album out that focuses on some things that a grown man like you might have on his mind at the sixty's back to get the fix it disrespects been like for Gypsy back to the 67 black it's. Been in the rock history African American to have been treated like there have been times in Paris seem to be. That's untouchable it's a new single from Eminem 9 solo studio album titled revival and we're joined now by Eminem Marshall Mathers from Detroit Mr Mathers thank you so much for speaking with us I will never get an intro that good again. Because well you. Never get that again that was incredible thank you well you know I was looking up the last time you talked with us and you talked with my colleague Iraq back in 2010 when you had just released recovery and you were going through some things you had just come to terms with an addiction problem and you had recovered from an overdose and so the 1st and most important thing is how is your health I hope it's good Ok I. Had a better answer to that no I'm good I'm good I think I found out I'm allergic to myself meaning I don't know like eating healthy and stuff like that was something that I never really got into until I got sober and then it's amazing how. Your life can change by just Laich eating the right things in not eating the wrong things not. Eating medicine. Do you like this new person. I'm Ok with them again all right so talk about revival there's a lot there's a lot that I want to talk about let's hear what you had in mind you know 1st of all I mean let's talk about the title and also let's talk about the cover art as it's an image for folks who haven't seen it yet it's kind of a translucent American flag with what appears to be a man holding his head in his hand kind of like a posture of grief and why this image for the album cover and why the title Well the title just kind of made sense with the with everything that the album was about. And the cover you know we've me kind of with my head down because you know as much as I love our country we got it we got to work on so it's kind of like. I love our country I'm upset with it right now was there and a peson a moment for you or is this something that's been building for a while this is something that's been building for a while and watching. Watching the Trump thing has been very frustrating part of it's been frustrating all of it. What part's not been frustrating in the very beginning I kind of felt like you know what why not he seems like a smart businessman you know maybe he can help help with the deficit or whatever right in then I start hearing him talk in the more he talks the more his true colors are showing and it's you know I was watching this thing live when he was talking about you know when Mexico send their people they will send their best they're sending rapist they're sending murderers you know. Like I was almost like you know he can say that. Well in case anyone isn't sure of how you feel about President Trump even before the new record came out you performed a freestyle at the b.e.t. Hip Hop Awards and this is what you said hear it and any friend of mine who's a supporter of his I'm throwing in a saying a line you read a form of James. And if you can decide who you like more in your split on who you just stand beside I'll do it for you with this. He got a lot of attention for that and I was wondering did it feel risky to you the reason I ask is that 2016 Michigan was supposed to be part of that blue wall the safe area for Democrats but the state went for Trump in the end it was close but you know Michigan went for Trump and you know I know that people in the best state are very important to you a lot of your fans I think particularly maybe some of your white fans feel that you particularly speak for them and to them and I've wondered do you feel like you're walking out on the limb or does it feel like this is where the community is so this is where you need to be well 1st of all it is far as anybody who. Thinks that I speak for them for me it doesn't matter what nationality like I speak for everybody regardless of whatever the risk it is to me it was more important to say what I need to say. And whoever's ride with me cool whoever's not whoever is not is just not you know and my goal is to be there hopefully change some minds or just say screw it because if that person didn't like me to begin with I'm not going to I don't know if I'm again a fan. This is another one which I found I was interested because here you it's like you're you're taking on 2 different personas and they're talking to each other it's called untouchable Let's play a little bit. With the myth. That . When you get to. Sit in the. It's like a scene from a play right where people are talking to each other maybe across the wall or talking past each other you can sort of envision both of them talking to us but not even hearing each other tell me tell me what you're thinking about while. If you remember about 2 years ago there was a time when it felt like literally every other day every day or every other day you'd wake up and see the news in another black man is getting shot by police and killed for. Basically nothing like seeing the what the thing that happened with. With Michael Slater in Walter Scott and being shot in the back from like 50 feet 60 feet away and Fernando Castillo and he's reaching for his wallet trying to tell you I have a gun but I have a license to carry it I'm reaching for my wallet and get shot and killed in front passenger seat in front of his wife and kids. It was very. Infuriated and it was one of those things that kept building up and building up and I wanted to say something about it for the longest time but I needed to make sure that I want to word it correctly I want to make sure that I make my point you know the right way and that racism the fear that a black face gives some contemplate. Segregated Ah. Don't tell me tearing down the only time it takes to take the education and everything the fridge break a leg break the box. So now it's like you're trying to open up awareness about this I know you're familiar with all the stories that have been in the news about women not appreciating the way they have been treated in various places you know in Hollywood in newsrooms and so forth and you know for a fact you know that throughout your career people have listened to your lyrics and wondered about your attitude toward women and I wonder now now that you're kind of at this stage of your career do you look back on anything differently is there anything you wish you had said differently or I don't know rethink some of the things that you said well you know for one I think that it's called that these women took a stand for sure and women were put in a position where if somebody's in a position of power is telling them if you want to basically move up the ladder this is what you're going to have to do is messed up I'm sorry I'm not able to talk but that being said as for me I feel like you know I've always kind of rode the line of the tongue in cheek you know I believe as human beings we all have different sides to us serious rides dark humor. Whatever that's kind of wild always put the disclaimer out there and I feel like. People should be able to know by now you know when I'm joking and when I'm not aside from the fact I have daughters you do have to any of them ever you know kids or harshest critics right then any of them ever have opinions that they want to share with you. About my music really because they know you know they know that dad is dead when I'm writing sometimes an idea or a line will pop in my head and I'll be like you know that's the thought is messed up and I either laugh to myself or I say you know what that might be just going too far you know so the argument that have I ever took it too far I probably have who knows and then there's times where sometimes I don't think I took a foreigner of depends on what it is and as an artist I feel like I just I can't really I can't just be one thing I don't want to be one dimensional because there's so many different angles that I feel like I can write from so I can't just be boxed into one thing it's true I'm a real big a beautiful mess it's times do I go not just. A flawed human I guess what I'm doing my best to not win yet expectations and meet him but 1st how would you describe this point in your in your career I don't know I met a funny place you know hip hop has been around for a long time but it but I don't know if it's been around really long enough to see how long someone can actually go for so you've still got. Artists like me and j. Redman still has it to me like I feel like as long as. As long as I'm passionate about it which are you know I could say obviously I am I'm not sure what I'm going to do next but you know I don't know I'm still passionate about music so when I do fall from the I don't want to find I won't tell the Dr spiral down the line down the side of my final battle this time around because. That was N.P.R.'s Michel Martin speaking with rapper Eminem about his new album revival. And for Saturday that's All Things Considered from n.p.r. News I'm Ray Suarez will be back tomorrow thanks for listening and support for n.p.r. 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