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The December 21 'MHP' Syllabus

We'll have the latest on the Brooklyn shooting that killed two NYPD officers. That, plus Russia's economy, Pakistan's terror attack, and more. 10am ET, msnbc.

Join us Sunday on Melissa Harris-Perry with guest host Dorian Warren. We’ll have the very latest on Saturday’s shooting of two New York City police officers.

Then, 2015 is fast approaching with the U.S. and Russian economies moving in opposite directions heading into the new year. The Russian Ruble is in free-fall against the dollar, having lost half of its value since July. The decline is due in large part to the country’s reliance on oil exports, where prices have hit a five-year low this week. Meanwhile, stateside, the White House is working hard to remind Americans that the economy is steadily on the upswing. More jobs have already been created in 2014 than during any year since the 1990s, and in October the unemployment rate fell below 6% for the first time since 2008. How do these very different economic stories fit into the Obama-Putin dynamic?

And what about the woman whose words may mean a whole lot more to global markets than either President Obama or Vladimir Putin? Though it didn’t receive much buzz, we’re talking about how Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen’s comments on Wednesday hold the potential to move mountains of money. Joining our panel Sunday morning to discuss this and more are:

  • Lisa Cook- Associate Professor of Economics and International Relations, Michigan State University
  • Dan Dicker- President of wealth management firm MercBloc
  • Peter Goodman- Editor-in-Chief, The International Business Times
  • Aisha Moodie-Mills- Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress

Then we turn to Pakistan, where earlier this week in Peshawar, a horrific terror attack left 148 dead, mostly children. We will talk to Hillary Mann Leverett, author of "Going to Tehran," and professor at the American University School of International Service for analysis.

President Obama and the First Lady opened up about race in a People Magazine article this week, discussing some of the "small irritations or indignities" that can touch people of color even as famous and successful as the first family. Likewise a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll suggests that only 40% of Americans believe that race relations in the country are good, a major decline from findings 18 months ago when 52% Americans held that view. Joining Professor Warren for that conversation will be:

Then we have the “Polinistas,” Aisha and Danielle Moodie-Mills, to take us through a 2014 wrap-up on what “popped” this year in pop culture. We’ll be talking Kim Kardashian, Beyonce, and a whole lot more!

Be sure to read what we’ve linked above, and watch Melissa Harris-Perry Saturday at 10am ET on msnbc. Join the conversation—share your thoughts about these issues on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #nerdland.