Conservative politicians love to cut funding for the arts: Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Newt Gingrich, and now, Donald Trump. The arts can't do anything tangible, like build a wall, or cure cancer. Too often, they fail the conservative litmus test for decency. Yet the arts are essential to our humanity, our hopes, and often, our healing.
Also this hour: The April 3 cover story in Time magazine seeks an answer from president Trump to this simple question, "Is Truth Dead?" The media is not letting him off the hook. Some say it's about time.
Lastly, rural America depends on a steady stream of foreign doctors to care for their medical needs. A little-publicized change in how we process visa applications may leave these communities high and dry.
GUESTS:
- Philip Kennicott - Art and Architecture Critic for the Washington Post. In 2013 he won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism
- Will Oremus- Senior writer for Slate covering media and technology
- Miriam Jordan - National immigration correspondent for the New York Times
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Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.