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"Everyone from the FDIC to the Pentagon have said that people are doing this as a way of life ... they are trapped in a series of loans," says Kai Wright of individuals and families who've become entangled in the system of payday lending. High-interest loans are being made to the people who need the extra cash most--and who are most unable to repay. As the Republican congress introduces a bill aimed at doing away with financial reform and continues its efforts to stymie the efforts of the Consumer Financial Protection Agency, payday lending will continue to be attractive to low-income borrowers, and even more dangerous in the long-term. Is our economy, still reeling from the effects of the sub-prime mortgage explosion, prepared for any more suffering consumers or unscrupulous lending? This weekend, GRITtv headed to Boston with lots of our favorite media makers, activists, and thinkers for the National Conference for Media Reform. Laura was the emcee for the opening plenary, and then stuck around all weekend, talking about money, media and politics with movers and shakers. Check out some of what we saw at the conference! The details of the compromise that finally kept the government open and made deep cuts to the federal budget for fiscal year 2011 are finally beginning to emerge--and they're not pretty. Millions and even billions from education, labor, the EPA--all for what economist Richard Wolff says is a negligible impact on the actual deficit. Is there an upside to this mess? Richard joins Laura in studio, along with strategist Karen Finney from Washington, D.C., to break down the budget plan and the politics behind it. They also offer some solutions for ways to really fix the deficit. Finally, one thing we know for sure about the budget compromise is that there was no reduction at all in military spending. Laura has some thoughts. Distributed by Tubemogul.

The single-payer health care plan that recently passed the Vermont state assembly "is truly an example of democracy at its finest. It is the people of Vermont banding together as human beings and as a community," according to Mary Gerisch of the Health Care is a Human Right campaign of the Vermont Workers Center. Organizing around human rights framework, Mary notes, helped unite the people around a universal plan that leaves no one out. Mary joins Laura in studio to explain how Vermonters managed to do the impossible, why she's sure the Senate will do the right thing, and how other states can follow Vermont's lead. "If these actions are allowed to stand in these places, there's going to be an assault on public workers around this nation. They are the testing ground to see how people are going to respond to this. And people are responding gloriously, whether it was Indianapolis, whether it was in Madison, they came out. Even those workers who may have been exempt from this takeover, even those workers came out," says actor and humanitarian Danny Glover. Danny Glover has a long history of activism and hasn't slowed down. Just recently, he flew back to Haiti with exiled former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, and stopped in Indiana to lend his voice to the struggle of workers there to retain their right to organize. Glover stopped in New York to speak to the memorial gathering for the Triangle Shirtwaist workers, and he took some time to chat with Laura about the struggles of people around the world right now. Then, last night the New York State Capitol could've been mistaken for Madison, as protesters danced and sang inside the hall and then spent the night to protest Democratic Governor Cuomo's budget cuts. The bill passed, but Laura has a few thoughts looking forward to Monday's We Are One actions. Distributed by Tubemogul.

"Many important issues facing working people don't get the attention they deserve, and other issues get a whole lot of issues because they're sensational or if they divert attention," says Senator Bernie Sanders of the media's failures these days. He notes that we're now seeing a newly aggressive push from corporate interests and the politicians they sponsor, making attacks that have little to do with deficits. Senator Sanders joins Laura via Skype from Washington, D.C. to discuss the assault on programs that aid working families, the way the media helps conservatives wtih framing, and his state of Vermont's steps toward single-payer healthcare. Distributed by Tubemogul.

"The key here for the Obama administration is not just to talk the talk but they have to walk the walk," says Vince Warren of the Center for Constitutional rights. It's not just Libya he's talking about -- the US has a ways to go on many humanitarian concerns, from Guantanamo to the Mavi Marmara, the International Criminal Court to neighborhood policing. Vince joins Laura in studio to discuss the historic UN Security Council vote on Libya, the ongoing struggle for habeas corpus rights for detainees, and racist stop-and-frisk policies right here in New York. "You essentially entered into a contract with the corporate clsss--if you work hard, you will be rewarded. Now it's you work hard, the company prospers, and you lose your job," says Michael Moore. It's time to return to a place where working people are treated with respect and honor in this country, Michael argues, from the Academy Awards to the schools our children attend. In part two of our special interview with the Oscar-winning filmmaker, Laura chats with him about the solutions to the vast wealth inequality, the good and bad at this year's Oscar ceremony, and why it's important for the Left to remember their sense of humor. Finally, if Scott Walker's "budget repair" bill caused this much trouble, just imagine what his budget will look like. It drops today, and Laura has some thoughts about the ideology behind those numbers. Distributed by Tubemogul.