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The November 17 'MHP' Syllabus

A new look at American foreign policy, Richard Cohen's remarks on race, Renisha McBride, Melissa's daughter in space, and much more! 10am ET, MSNBC.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks during a news conference at the Millennium Hotel in New York City on Sept. 26, 2013.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks during a news conference at the Millennium Hotel in New York City on Sept. 26, 2013.

The world is a complicated place and so is the place of the United States in it. Of course, there are many times when American intervention in international events has led to positive results--but there are also plenty of times when it has chipped away at our own credibility. Most recently, the handling of negations on Iran’s nuclear program begs the question of where America stands in the world and what we want it to be.

On Sunday’s MHP, host Melissa Harris-Perry is joined by a panel of experts to examine US geopolitical positioning, the tenure of Secretary of State John Kerry thus far, as well as the importance of accurate foreign reporting by US news organizations.

That and the news that Chinese officials have decided 1.3 billion people is not enough. This may be the biggest baby news since Kate gave birth!

While many are condemning the recent comments made by the Washington Post’s Richard Cohen regarding what he sees as the inevitable reaction by some to the de Blasio family, in #nerdland, we have been thinking about the unfortunate truths held in his words. Though Cohen’s language is clearly problematic on its face, the reality is that America’s general acceptance of biracial couples is rather new. Cohen’s words coincide with the recent shooting death of Renisha McBride and together both incidents open up another dialogue about the underlying racial tensions that still exist in our society. Join us Sunday for another installment of “Race Talk,” #nerdland style.

Also on Sunday, #nerdland is taking a trip to Space Camp! While it wouldn’t take much arm-twisting to get any of our Lady Nerds to spend time learning how the astronauts live, the number of female astronauts is seriously lacking. On Sunday’s MHP, our host and panel, including Melissa's uncle Wes Harris himself, will discuss how to get more girls interested in space, the future of our space program, and the reality of commercial space travel.

Be sure to read what we’ve linked above, and watch Melissa Harris-Perry Sunday at 9 a.m. EST on MSNBC! Also, don’t forget to join us on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #nerdland.