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According to a news report released Wednesday morning, National Security Advisor Tom Donilon has announced his resignation and is to be replaced by US Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Susan Rice in what is bound to be a controversial appointment. Replacing Susan Rice will be author and foreign policy expert Samantha Powers—another interesting selection on behalf of the Obama administration.

Nation editor-in-chief Katrina vanden Heuvel joins Nation national security correspondent and author of the recently-released book Dirty Wars: The World is a Battlefield on MSNBC's Morning Joe to discuss President Obama's selection and national security policies such as the drone wars that are being waged in many countries that, as Joe points out, we haven't even declared we are officially at war with. 

After Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the NBA slapped a $75,000 fine on Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert for homophobic comments made to the press. “I think anybody who thinks that it’s no big deal should be cognizant of the company they’re keeping right now,” says Nation sports editor Dave Zirin, who blogged about the comments prior to Hibbert’s penalization. “I wrote the column because what I wanted to do was start a discussion that just said, this matters.” Zirin joins The Dan Patrick Show to discuss homophobia in sports, the context of Hibbert’s comments and how much the NBA thought they mattered.

—James Cersonsky

How much longer will British companies get away without paying interns? Read Jon Wiener’s take.

Why did Rutgers University—which recently fired basketball coach Mike Rice over homophobic taunts—hire an athletic director, Julie Hermann, with a history of verbally and physically abusing college athletes? “I would call what’s happening at Rutgers a clown show, but I fear that would be a grave insult to clowns,” The Nation’s Dave Zirin says. Zirin joins MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts to discuss Hermann’s reputation, the opaqueness of her selection and what’s next for Rutgers’s athletic program.

—James Cersonsky

When will sexual assault in the military end? Read Katrina vanden Heuvel’s column.

It may look like the economy is on the rise, but the United States did not create a single job in the manufacturing sector during the month of April. While other sectors—such as the service sector—are doing well, more than 10,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost over the past few months. Without these jobs—known for keeping small towns afloat during times of economic crisis—whither the middle class? The Nation’s Washington correspondant John Nichols joined Ed Schultz to discuss the necessity of good, union jobs for maintaining the middle class.

Be sure to also check out John Nichols discussing the failures of austerity measures on WPR and another interview with Senator Bernie Sanders on the importance of keeping the focus on the growing gap between the wealthy and the poor rather than scandals in Washington.