More unfortunate news of how irresponsible budget cuts kill people. A man drowned yesterday - as firefighters and first responder just watched from shore. The firefighters couldn't help the man because they didn't have training or cold-water gear thanks to budget cuts back in 2009. Thom Hartmann asks Conservative commentator David Selig - How many people have to die before conservatives figure out that there's some value in having public services? It took an hour for this guy to drown!

Thom explains how wealth inequality is not only a problem in America, but a global issue. Later in the show, he discusses the Republicans' reluctancy to raise the debt limit in the "Lone Liberal" rumble.

There are two minimum wages in America. There's one for working men and women that's roughly seven or eight dollars an hour depending on what state you live in. And then there's one for corporate executives that's about $11 million a year including stock options and bonuses.

The Lone Liberal Rumble with Heather Cirmo, 440 Group Public Relations & Jamie Weinstein, DailyCaller.com. --Should the Republicans have played a fun-little game of political theatre yesterday with our nation's debt ceiling that could collapse the entire global economy? --A new poll by Public Policy Polling shows that 7 Republican Governors - including Wisconsin's Scott Walker and Ohio's John Kasich - would lose big if last year's election were held again today. How many Republicans will be recalled in 2012? --Arizona wants to charge people on Medicaid an extra 50 bucks a year if they are obese or smoke. When obese poor people are told their Medicaid costs are greater than their income and they even fall off that program - and die for lack of health-care - should Jan Brewer be charged with Manslaughter or Negligent Homicide?

Not only are millionaires and billionaires in America contributing to the massive wealth inequality within our borders - they're also playing their part in the massive wealth inequality around the planet. According to a new study by the Boston Consulting Group - around 1% of the global population controls 39% of the world's wealth. Thom challenges Andrew Langer, Institute for Liberty - Why do we have economies? Shouldn't they be to serve the people of the nation or are we here to serve the owners of the largest players in the economy??

Thom debates the issue of the United States adopting solar power policies similar to Germany and Italy. Later in the show, he discusses the possibilities if Sarah Palin indeed decides to run for president with Ken Morris, co-author of "Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin".

Steal 50 bucks in candy bars from a 7-11 - go to jail. But if you steal 50 MILLION bucks from public pensions on Wall Street - here's a bailout. It appears as though our rule of law breaks down once you pass the 6th zero in someone's bank account. But it's not just this tale of two justice systems that's weighing down the rule of law in America. It's our foreign policy strategy too. Our current war in Libya is raging for more than 2 months now without legal authority. So while the crimes mount - and our politicians and CEOs don their immunity badges - the rest of America is going head to head against monster security machines like the PATRIOT Act and the Nixon War on Drugs. So the question...When the rule of law has broken down within a nation built on laws...what is left?

Every year - along the California and Nevada border - ten thousand wild horses are rounded up - put into pens - and locked up. During the round-up and lock-up - about 10% of the horses die. The US Government's Bureau of Land Management is behind these roundups - and they argue that wild horse populations are exploding - straining resources - and starving other animals - and thus they should be controlled. There are roughly 33000 wild horses settling across ten western states - and the Department of Interior says the wild horse roundups are "necessary and justified to maintain the natural ecological balance... of the land." Critics of the roundups disagree though. One of those critics is Madeleine Pickens - she's an Animal rights Advocate - and Founder of "Saving America's Mustangs" and the "Mustang Monument Wild Horse Eco-Sanctuary"

There's another Republican hostage scenario unfolding. The victims this time are those who suffered through the Joplin, Missouri tornado tragedy last week and are in desperate need of government help. Republicans have agreed to send some aid money there way - but only if Democrats agree to go along with cuts elsewhere. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor explained their demands on CBS' "Face the Nation" over the weekend. Residents of Joplin are resorting to using elephants to help clean up. In a heated exchange, TJ McCormack, Conservative Commentator/Fox News Contributor turns the focus on race and claims that the Obama administration won't help Joplin residents because of the "lack of people of color."

Award-winning author of 34 books, Walter Mosely joins Thom for the first half our of the show. He talks about his latest book, "Twelve Steps Toward Political Revelation", which examines how America is struggling with poverty, oppression and self-destructive behavior and how we can turn things around. Later in the show, Thom and his panelists discuss the Democratic victory in New York's 6th Congressional district and other topics in the Weekly Rumble.

With Guy Benson - Political Editor of Townhall.com and radio host of The Guy Benson Show, Erikka Knuti - Democratic Strategist and - Brian Darling - Director of Government Studies at Heritage - as well as columnist at Human Events. Questions this week: --So now that Paul Ryan's "roadmap to throwing Grandma off a cliff" is costing Republicans seats in Congress - isn't it time for the Party to dump Paul Ryan and the rest of the Tea Party? --Republicans in the Senate used a procedural move to keep the Senate in session through the Memorial Day recess just to make sure the President can't make a recess appoint of Elizabeth Warren - Clearly - she's qualified for the job - so why are Republicans SO afraid of her? --The New Jersey Supreme Court smacked down Governor Chris Christie - calling his massive cuts to education unconstitutional - shouldn't education remain a part of the commons - instead of just another industry that profiteers can carve up - water down - and sell back to us for a high-profit? --The Commodity Futures Trading Commission slapped charges against two oil speculators for their role in the 2008 oil price surge - So doesn't this case of a few rich guys manipulating the price of the world's most important resource show that laissez faire economics doesn't work - and that the Tea Party and the Republicans just don't know what they're talking about? --This week - Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and New York Times reporter James Risen was subpoenaed by the ...

In Conversations with Great Minds Thom Hartmann is speaking with award-winning American novelist Walter Mosley whose written 34 critically-acclaimed books. His most recent is titled: "Twelve Steps Toward Political Revelation"

In Conversations with Great Minds Thom Hartmann is speaking with award-winning American novelist Walter Mosley whose written 34 critically-acclaimed books. His most recent is titled: "Twelve Steps Toward Political Revelation"

Every ten years - the House of Representatives get reshuffled. Based on census data - states may gain or lose Congressional seats depending on how many people enter or leave certain states. This ensures that the House reflects the changing population in America. As a result of last year's census - the state of Ohio is slated to lose two Congressional seats in next year's election. And since Republicans control the state legislature in Ohio - they're picking off the progressive districts - most notably the 10th district of Ohio - a district faithfully represented by Dennis Kucinich for more than 14 years. Now Kucinich - a leading voice among progressives - has to look for a new district to represent just to stay in Congress - rumor has it he's been looking near Seattle in Washington State, which is gaining a congressional seat because that state's population has grown. So while the House is constantly adding or subtracting congress people depending on how many people have moved into or out of the various states - guess what the Senate is doing? Absolutely nothing. If we broke up the bigger states last year - then the make up of the Senate would have been 69 Democrats and 41 Republicans - more than enough to overcome a filibuster - and we'd have a public option - heck we may even be on the road toward a single-payer system - we'd have a clean energy plan - a limit on corporate campaign donations - stronger Wall Street reforms - and a New Deal to put Americans back to work ...

Thom discusses Wisconsin judge Maryann Sumi's decision to throw out Governor Scott Walker's union busting bill. He also touches on the plummeting approval rating of Ohio Governor John Kasich. Later in the show, explains how Republicans are trying to make free public education a privilege instead of a right.