Toggle Menu

Venezuela in American Politics—Plus, VA Housing for Homeless Vets

On Start Making Sense: John Nichols on the lack of support for Trump’s attack on Venezuela, and Mark Rosenbaum on the court victory that should end homelessness for disabled vets.

Jon Wiener

January 7, 2026

Donald Trump departs after speaking during a House Republican retreat at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on January 6, 2026, in Washington, DC.(Alex Wong / Getty Images)

The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

Venezuela in American Politics, plus VA Housing for Homeless Vets | Start Making Sense
byThe Nation Magazine

Trump’s attack on Venezuela is likely to weaken his political support even further, because it does nothing about affordability or health care. And it’s not at all clear the big oil companies want to spend billions restoring Venezuelan production. John Nichols comments.

Also: the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ordered the VA to provide housing for disabled vets on its land in Los Angeles, something they have refused to do for more than a decade. The ruling should end homelessness among disabled vets everywhere – Mark Rosenbaum of Public Counsel, who won the case, explains.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Trump’s attack on Venezuela is likely to weaken his political support even further, because it does nothing about affordability or healthcare. And it’s not at all clear that the big oil companies want to spend billions restoring Venezuelan production. John Nichols comments.

Also: the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ordered the VA to provide housing for disabled vets on its land in west Los Angeles, something it has refused to do for more than a decade. The ruling should end homelessness among disabled vets everywhere. Mark Rosenbaum of Public Counsel, who won the case, explains.

Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/subscribe.

The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

War in Iran, News in America / Start Making Sense
byThe Nation Magazine

Tom Stevenson analyzes the latest news and long-term prospects of Trump's Iran war, for both Iran and the US. Tom is a contributing editor for the London Review of Books, where he writes about, among other things, politics in the Mideast.

Also: what news are people getting these days, and where are they getting it? Especially the people we call “news avoidant” & “low information” voters–the ones we want to vote for Democrats in November: what are the big stories for them? Tara McGowan explains– she’s founder and CEO of Courier Newsroom, a digital media company that operates a network of local news outlets.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Subscribe to The Nation to Support all of our podcasts

Jon WienerTwitterJon Wiener is a contributing editor of The Nation and co-author (with Mike Davis) of Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties.


Latest from the nation