For Senate Democrats this is a big week for defiance. At last they are making popular demands as part of a deal to pass a budget and avoid a government shutdown. But Trump still holds a lot of cards. Harold Meyerson will comment.

Also: None of us were prepared for the double whammy of last week’s White House press conference, where Trump made false claims not only about vaccines but also about Tylenol causing autism. We’ll have analysis from Gregg Gonsalves. He teaches at the Yale School of Public Health; he’s been an AIDS activist for 30 years; and he’s also a MacArthur Fellow—class of 2018. And he’s The Nation’s public health correspondent.

And Steve Almond talks about the trouble with football - the thousands of concussions from "hits" that leave players with brain damage - for our entertainment. His book is "Against Football." (originally broadcast in 2015)

Trump is trying to stop speech that criticizes him and his administration. Last week began with JD Vance complaining about an article in The Nation that criticized the ideas of Charlie Kirk. Two days after that, ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel. And a few days after that, a protest movement forced ABC to put him back on the air. Bhaskar Sunkara comments on the fight over freedom of speech—he’s president of The Nation magazine.

Also: Attacking Harvard is not unique to Trump. For decades, indeed for centuries, American politicians have made hay by going after Harvard. Historian Beverely Gage talks about what’s familiar, and what’s new, in Trump’s efforts—based on a reconsideration of Richard Hofstadter’s classic 1963 book, Anti-Intellectualism in American Life.

Also: Bill McKibben's 'Here comes the sun' - and the KPFK fund drive.

With his attacks on late-night comedians, Trump is practicing the "cancel culture" he pledged to eliminate. Harold Meyerson comments.

Also: Democrats have been winning big victories in special elections in diverse places across the country. John Nichols comments.

Plus: Why fascists fear teachers - starting in L.A. Randi Weingarten, president of the AFT, explains - her new book is "Why Fascists Fear Teachers."