BROADCASTS.com

b"First up:\\xa0 what we know and don't (and why we don't) about the explosions at a swamped chemical plant north of Houston. Russia warns the U.S. that further sanctions against North Korea would be 'dangerous'. The U.S. continues diplomatic tit-for-tat with Russia by ordering several more diplomatic facilities closed. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is now reportedly working with NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in their criminal probes of Team Trump, in what could serve as an end-run around Donald Trump's pardon power for his associates at the federal level, and even a hedge against the possibility of the President firing the Special Counsel. Then, as horrible as August has been on so many levels, TPM Congressional reporter Alice Ollstein explains why September could be even worse, as Congress reconvenes after Labor Day following Summer recess with 'a nightmarishly short calendar during which they must pass a host of bills" to, among other things, approve a budget to keep the government from shutting down and avoid a federal default by raising the debt ceiling. That, along with the need to fund disaster relief for Harvey, reauthorize children's healthcare and the national flood insurance programs by the end of the month -- amid ongoing feuds between Trump and Congressional leadership while he threatens to shutdown the government if Congress fails to fund his border wall -- almost assure what Ollstein characterizes as "The September From Hell".\\xa0 Add to it all the Trump/GOP hopes of passing huge tax cuts, and today's late-breaking news that the Administration plans to slash 90% of the Affordable Care Act's ad budget in advance of this year's truncated Open Enrollment period. It all amounts to not only a September from Hell, but a rest-of-the-year from same. Enjoy your holiday weekend, but buckle up. Finally, Desi Doyen joins us for our latest 'Green News Report' with more coverage of the ongoing devastation of Harvey, before we finish with some actually very good news concerning nuclear power, solar power, and the nation's largest utility company..."