Dr.Doug Inkley, National Wildlife Federation joins Thom Hartmann. In the most detailed report yet on the causes of last year's BP oil spill - federal investigators found that a decision made directly by BP led to the death of 11 men, and ruined ecosystems along the Gulf coast. As the report says, "BP's cost- or time-saving decisions, without considering contingencies and mitigation, were contributing causes of the Macondo blowout." The report - which was released last week - was compiled by the Coast Guard and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement - was far more critical of BP than an earlier report released in January by a Presidential panel of investigators. And while BP shares most of the blame - the report also points a finger at Transocean and Dick Cheney's Halliburton - for grave errors leading to the oil spill. So what else did we learn from this latest report into the BP oil disaster! And is there anything we can take away from it to prevent this sort of thing from happening again?

What do you do when you're a small-time crook and former cruise-ship lounge singer who went into business - with a partner now in prison - and bought a radio station, then a TV station, then a newspaper, then another radio station, then another TV station, then another newspaper, then a radio network, then a TV network - and ended up owning about 95 percent of the media seen in Italy? That's what Silvio Berlosconni did - and then created his own political party, ran for Prime Minister with his billions and the full support of his own wholly-owned versions of Fox News, Fox Radio, and Fox Newspaper - and - surprise! - won. Three times! The saga of the Berlusconi sex scandals heated up again in Italy over the weekend as newly-released wiretaps of Berlusconi's telephone conversations dominated the headlines all across Italy. The wiretaps were released at the conclusion of an investigation into entrepreneur Gianpaolo Tarantini - a man who is accused of paying women to sleep with Berlusconi at his homes in 2008 and 2009. In the transcripts of the wiretaps, Berlusconi is quoted as telling Tarantini that, "Last night I had a queue outside the door of the bedroom....There were eleven...I only did eight because I could not do it anymore....Listen, all the beds are full here...this lot won't go home, even at gunpoint." In another conversation recorded in September 2008, Berlusconi told Tarantini that he needed to reduce the flow of women for a few days because he had a "terrible ...

Today in GBU is Alec Baldwin for boycotting the Emmys after being censored by Fox-so-called-news, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell feeling just fine about Republicans cheering for Rick Perry's sky-high record of executions and for policies that would allow the death of uninsured Americans at recent the Republican debate & right-wing hack Andrew Breitbart who took to inciting violence against the left while speaking at a Massachusetts Tea Party event.....I guess when the right-wing talking points fall short - Breitbart can resort to the glocks.

Zaid Jilani w/ thinkprogress.org joins Thom Hartmann. Looks like more and more Americans are tired of being screwed by the banksters who've infected our body politic. Over a thousand demonstrators converged on Wall Street over the weekend to demand banksters be held accountable for their high crimes that - according to the World Bank - have impoverished 64 million people around the planet. The demonstrators are also demanding major structural reforms to our economy. Adbusters is the organization that fist conceived of the idea to occupy Wall Street and - point of full disclosure - I've written for Adbusters over the years. Their call for the occupation on their website reads: "On September 17, we want to see 20000 people flood into lower Manhattan, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades and occupy Wall Street for a few months. Once there, we shall incessantly repeat our one simple demand until Barack Obama capitulates." So will this kind of activism produce some real change - and awaken the tens of millions of Americans who've been screwed by Wall Street?

Move over birthers, there are elves in Iceland. According to a new report from the University of Iceland - a majority of Icelanders believe in elves. 62% of respondents believes that elves either possibly, likely, or definitely exist...also - 72% of Icelanders felt the same way about ghosts. Iceland has always been notorious for its citizens believing in supernatural forces more than most other nations. Of course - here in America we're notorious for believing in Fox so-called News myths like President Obama not being born in the United States. At one point - 51% of Republicans believed President Obama was born in a different country. Rumor has it that Donald Trump has immediately dispatched his crack-pot team of private investigators to Iceland to find out once and for all if elves really do exist.

Roger Hickey, Campaign for America's Future & Heather Cirmo, Conservative Strategist join Thom Hartmann. Today - the President unveiled his deficit-reduction plan - a proposal that will slash $4 trillion out of our nation's deficit over the next ten years - and completely pay for the "American Jobs Act" that was introduced in Congress last week. The plan does this primarily by ending special tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires - including the Bush tax cuts for the rich. In what's being called the "Buffet Rule" - the President's plan also forces the richest among us - from Wall Street billionaire hustlers to people like the Wal-Mart Walton Heirs and Paris Hilton who get most of their income sitting on their butts the swimming pool collecting dividend checks yet pay only a 15% tax rate - to pay the same rate as average hard working Americans. With a political showdown over taxes now looming between President Obama and Republicans - the American people have spoken. According to a new Gallup poll - nearly three-quarters of Americans support a balanced approach to deficit reduction that includes both tax increases and spending cuts - as the President proposed. In fact - only 26% - that's it - just 26% of Republicans support the spending cuts-only approach being pushed by Republicans like Paul Ryan - John Boehner - and Eric Cantor. So - did we just see the defining issue of the 2012 election campaign? To tax the rich or not tax the rich?

Thom Hartmann is joined by author and journalist Anthony Summers. His newest book examines the many conspiracy theories surrounding the terrorist attack of 9/11 and offers close examinations of document and evidences that had been held from the public. His newest book is The Eleventh Day: The Full Story of 9/11 and Osama bin Laden By Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan

Thom Hartmann is joined by author and journalist Anthony Summers. His newest book examines the many conspiracy theories surrounding the terrorist attack of 9/11 and offers close examinations of document and evidences that had been held from the public. His newest book is The Eleventh Day: The Full Story of 9/11 and Osama bin Laden By Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan

Today, Thom Hartmann is joined by author and journalist Anthony Summers. His newest book examines the many conspiracy theories surrounding the terrorist attack of 9/11 and offers close examinations of document and evidences that had been held from the public. In the second part of the show we revisit the recent conversation with Edward Girardet, veteran war journalist and author. They discuss his latest book, "Killing the Cranes"...which gives an in-depth look inside his 30 years of reporting on some of the world's biggest wars.

Lucy Kafanov fills in for Thom Hartmann on this episode of the "Big Picture" In the first half hour, she discusses the latest developments surrounding the Libya uprising and later examines the obstacles surrounding Palestine's bid to join the United Nations.

Thom gives an in-depth look on how America's staggering poverty levels established over the last 30 years. Later in the show, he debates two conservative guests in his Lone Liberal Rumble.

For the last 30 years or so - Republicans have defined what freedom means in America. At the debate this week - Ron Paul told us what it means to be "free" in America. As in - freedom to die alone. Just like what happened to Ron Paul's campaigning manager - Kent Snyder - back in 2008 - when he contracted pneumonia - spent 2 months in the hospital - and died $400000 in debt - because he didn't have health insurance. Ron Paul doesn't even give his campaign staff health insurance - I guess because he wants them to be "free." We're free alright - free to go hungry - free to be poor - free to be jobless - free to breathe toxic air and drink dirty water - and free to get sick and die - and all the while, free from the government helping us. We need to once again ask ourselves what it means to be free - because for the vast majority of Americans - this new definition of freedom just isn't working. Anthropologically speaking - historically speaking - humans have never bought into this bizarre new Republican - or Ayn Rand - notion of "freedom." For thousands of years we've organized ourselves into groups - in families - in tribes - in cities - in nations - just so we could all collectively provide each other enough basic protections and safety to live more free lives. That's the point of a democratic government in a republic like ours - to guarantee our freedom both from government intrusion but also from want, destitution, disease, and from the corporate predators around us. It's ...

Daniel Halper, Weekly Standard & Brian Darling, Human Events join Thom Hartmann to talk about poverty, the "gang of 12," disaster relief, Darell Issa & Elizabeth Warren. Quickfire - Would you rather have Elizabeth Warren after the Banksters as head of CFB or as a Senator?

Ralph Nader. Ten years after 9/11 - Nader isn't afraid to tell some inconvenient truths about our nation's response to that grim day. Washington's revolving door. According to a new report by Legistorm - over the last ten years - 5400 former Congressional staffers - and 400 former lawmakers have gone on to become lobbyists. The Drudge Report. The right-wing fear mongering hack website had an interesting take on last night's Republican victory in New York's 9th Congressional district - what used to be Congressman Anthony Weiner's seat.