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The Syllabus: What you need to know for the May 25 ‘MHP’

Obama’s national security speech gets the "MHP" breakdown tomorrow as well as Tim Cook’s testimony on Capitol Hill on cooperate spending and the latest on Oklahoma (including the politics of disaster) -- Saturday at 10am ET on MSNBC!
/ Source: Melissa Harris Perry

Obama’s national security speech gets the "MHP" breakdown tomorrow as well as Tim Cook’s testimony on Capitol Hill on cooperate spending and the latest on Oklahoma (including the politics of disaster) -- Saturday at 10am ET on MSNBC!

A full analysis of President Obama’s counter-terrorism speech will lead off Saturday’s ”Melissa Harris-Perry,” including his call for an end to perpetual war. Host Melissa Harris-Perry will break down the speech into its core categories: a new U.S. policy on drone strikes, the new “Obama doctrine” as it relates to the global fight against terrorism, and the president’s vow to begin the closing of Guantanamo Bay, a promise he made during his first presidential campaign.

This week in Capitol Hill testimonies, Apple CEO Tim Cook found himself in front of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations answering questions about Apple’s subsidiary in Ireland that has managed to avoid paying U.S. taxes. Harris-Perry will dive into corporate money tactics with Stephen Lerner, organizer of the Wall Street Accountability campaign, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist David Cay Johnston, author of The Fine Print: How Big Companies Use “Plain English” To Rob You Blind, and Yves Smith, the founder and creator of the blog Naked Capitalism.

We will also bring you the latest from tornado-stricken Moore, Oklahoma and delve into the politics behind our national response to disasters. We are a country not unaccustomed to the devastation left behind by natural disasters, from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans to Hurricane Sandy’s effect on the eastern seaboard to last year’s tornado in Joplin, Missouri, and now the damage from this week’s EF-5 tornado, we know that the most important part of rebuilding is getting the necessary funds. Melissa will discuss the politically divisive process of getting these funds, FEMA and how we can better prepare out citizens for disasters.

Saturday’s show will also highlight a protest held this week held in front of the Justice Department’s headquarters by homeowners demanding the criminal prosecution of financial institutions involved in the foreclosure crisis. The protest resulted in close to 30 arrests and the use of Tasers on some of the participants. The housing crisis may be improving, but the demonstration of law enforcement this week is a telling reminder that not all is solved.

Be sure to read what we’ve linked above, and watch Melissa Harris-Perry Sunday at 10 a.m. EST on MSNBC. Also, don’t forget to join us on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #nerdland!