Thom Hartmann reports

Keesha Gaskins, Brennan Center for Justice, joins Thom Hartmann. The Pennsylvania State Supreme Court heard arguments today on the state's controversial Voter ID law - which would prevent thousands of eligible Pennsylvanians from voting in November. Will the court uphold the law - or will the right-wing's voter suppression drive be haulted in the Keystone State?

Chris Hedges, Truthdig "The World As It Is: Dispatches on the Myth of Human Progress" joins Thom Hartmann. Civil liberties advocates led by journalists and writers Chris Hedges, Daniel Ellsberg, and Noam Chomsky secured a big victory yesterday. Federal Judge Katherine Forrest struck down the controversial indefinite detention provision passed and signed by President Obama on New Year's Eve last year as part of the National Defense Authorization Act . Judge Forrester agreed with the plaintiffs that the provision could chill the First Amendment and leave journalists vulnerable to indefinite detention if they associate with terrorist organizations while trying to cover stories. The Obama Administration is appealing the ruling.

Thom Hartmann's crazy alert

Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke announced a new round of monetary stimulus by the Fed to do something about persistently high unemployment. This new plan will pump $85 billion into the economy by purchasing mortgage-backed securities and trading short-term bonds for long-term bonds with the banks. Basically - that means pumping more money into the economy. The Fed also took a rather bold step today in saying this new stimulus program is open-ended - and that the Fed will continue these measures if unemployment doesn't start falling faster. Now - there are legitimate criticisms against what the Fed is doing - primarily that it won't have the sort of stimulative affect on the economy that's needed since banks still won't lend to small businesses. But really - there's nothing else the Fed can do. Remember - the Fed was created with a dual mandate. One, to keep inflation under control. And two, to keep unemployment low. And since Republicans in Congress refuse to do anything to address high unemployment in America - blocking stimulus after stimulus - then the Fed is the only institution left that can at least make a dent in the jobless number. And that's what it's trying to do. And it's very telling that Republicans are criticizing the Feds efforts today - since as we all know by now - their banking on a bad economy to win big in November.

Ibrahim Qatabi, American human rights activist specializing in Yemen & Dr. Mark LeVine, Ph.D, University of California at Irvine join Thom Hartmann. Violence and unrest continues in Egypt and Libya today - as additional anti-American riots have broken out across the Middle East. But - as secrecy surrounds the supposed film that set off all the violence - what's really going on in the Middle East - and what happens next?

Thom details the latest from the unrest in the Middle East and asks our panel if this is the beginning of the Arab Fall. Also discussed: Obama's NDAA law being struck down, Voter ID on trial in Pennsylvania and in tonight's "Daily Take" Thom discusses how Pres. Obama might be doomed to follow in Pres. Carter's footsteps and what it would be mean for the country if he doesn't get a second term.

Attention cash-strapped states - the largest for-profit prison corporation in America has one hell of a deal for you! The only hitch is...you have to begin imprisoning your own citizens at an alarmingly high rate - and keep them in jail for 20 years! That's the offer coming from the Corrections Corporation of America in a $250 million proposal sent to prison officials in 48 states across the nation. The deal works like this: States sell their prisons off to the Corrections Corporation of America - also known as CCA - a multi-billion dollar for-profit corporation that's already operating 66 prison facilities across the nation. CCA pays the state a lump-sum off the bat for the prison. For example - in Ohio - CCA paid the state $72 million to run the Lake Erie Correctional Institution. From that point on - the state will then pay CCA a couple million dollars a year to manage the facility...which the state paid to build and CCA just bought for a song. That sorta sounds like a crummy deal - but CCA and proponents of prison privatization argue that this deal will actually save states a bunch money. But that's not true.

Your Take/My Take by @Thom_Hartmann

The Good! *John Archer* Archer is a Republican candidate for the US House from Iowa. When asked by a reporter if he differs from the Republican party on any issues - Archer replied, "I believe the Party platform calls for the death penalty and I'm personally opposed to the death penalty." He went on to say that while working as a clerk at the Illinois Supreme Court, he had seen "first hand" how we - as Americans - "have put innocent people to death" and "how life is too precious to do that." Finally - a Conservative saying that we need to abolish the death penalty. The Bad! *Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)* During an interview with Sean Hannity - Paul compared the US government's decision to reclaim some stolen property to Nazi Germany's confiscation of Jewish property. In the 1930's - a set of ten gold Double Eagle coins were illegaly removed from the US Mint. When the government recently found the coins - it sued the woman who had them - saying they were US property. A judge recently found in the government's favor. and the Very Very Ugly! *Mitt Romney* The man who could be President of the United States apparently doesn't care about foreign policy. In an interview with BuzzFeed published yesterday morning - Romney advisor Robert O'Brien said, speaking about the Obama campaign, that "it doesn't surprise me that they're raising foreign policy because it's another distraction from the Administration's terrible economic record." But - what Mr. O'Brien and his boss don't realize is ...

Laurel Sutherlin, Rainforest Action Network, joins Thom Hartmann. Earlier in the Summer - we told you about The Trans - Pacific Partnership - a new so-called free trade deal that the US has been negotiating over with 8 Pacific nations for the last two years. But rather than helping Americans or improving the American economy - the TPP would give foreign transnational corporations unprecedented power to abuse American workers - pollute our environment - and destabilize our markets. When information on the TPP was first leaked - very few Americans knew what it was - and as a result - there was very little opposition towards it. But fast forward a couple months - and that seems to have changed. This week in Leesburg, Virginia - US trade negotiators met with members of the other 8 TPP nations for the 14th round of negotiations. And - for the first time - the meeting was also met by protestors.

Greg Palast, BBC News & The Guardian / Author, Billionaires & Ballot Bandits joins Thom Hartmann. The Chicago Teachers Union strike is in it's third-day - as some of our nation's public school teachers continue to fight for a better system. But what's really going on with this strike - and why does Fox News have a financial stake in the Chicago Public School sytem? Plus - Greg knows the worst teacher in Chicago!

Horace Cooper, National Center for Public Policy Research & Austin Petersen, Libertarian commentator, FreedomWorks joins Thom Hartmann.

Horace Cooper, National Center for Public Policy Research & Austin Petersen, Libertarian commentator, FreedomWorks joins Thom Hartmann.

The Arab Spring turned ugly in Libya and Egypt on Tuesday, as angry crowds stormed US diplomatic buildings. The US Ambassador to Libya - Christopher Stevens - was killed in an attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya along with three other American diplomats when a rocket propelled grenade was shot into the building. Stevens is the first US Ambassador to be killed on duty in more than 30 years.The attack in Libya occurred just hours after angry protestors stormed the US Embassy in Egypt - climbing the walls, taking down the American flag, and hoisting up a black Islamic banner. Both attacks were believed to have been prompted by a movie made here in the United States by a California filmmaker who claims to be both American and Israeli. The movie depicts the prophet Muhammad as a fraudster and womanizer - something that is deeply offensive to the Muslim faith. The film was promoted by anti- Muslims organizations and a trailer for it was posted on Youtube sparking the outrage. However now - US officials believe that at least the attack on the consulate in Libya that claimed the life of Ambassador Stevens may have been pre-planned and executed by using the protests outside as a diversion. President Obama strongly condemned the attacks and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released a statement saying, "we are heartbroken."