When Joe Biden finally declared his candidacy, he immediately pulled way out in front in the polls of Democratic candidates. The polls also show him as the one most likely to beat Trump. Joan Walsh points to some of the problems with Biden, and considers the alternatives.

Also: Should the House Democrats open impeachment hearings? The politics may be debatable, but Congress’s duty is clear. Joshua Holland says impunity always breeds more lawlessness, and there’s plenty of evidence that Trump plans to continue to act without regard for the law.

Plus: We take a trip back back to the darkest days of the Cold War, when muckraking journalists, independent Marxists, trade-union rebels, freedom riders, beatniks, and peace demonstrators all found a home at America’s Oldest Weekly, The Nation magazine. That was the work of a great editor, Carey McWilliams, who was also a great historian. Peter Richardson, the author of the new book American Prophet: The Life and Work of Carey McWilliams, explains.