Stay ConnectedExpertly-curated progressive politics, news, and culture produced by leftist humans, not algorithms or AI. This is an award-winning podcast that dives deeply into a wide range of national and international issues facing society and governments. We draw from hundreds of sources of progressive news and commentary. Est. 2006.
Save time by listening to a range of perspectives on a focused topic in each episode and be introduced to new sources you will not have come across on your own!
Air Date 1/8/2025
Trump's first term was marked by all of the friendships he built with some of the world's worst, most oppressive leaders. His second term is getting an early start as he has begun making threats toward traditional allies and friends including Canada, Mexico, Greenland, and Panama.
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KEY POINTS
KP 2: Donald Trump's New Manifest Destiny - WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch - Part 1 - Air Date 12-26-24
KP 3: Why Elon Musk interferes in politics around the world - DW News - Air Date 1-3-25
KP 4: Is Musk Flirting With Fascism? - Politics unpacked - Air Date 1-3-24
(49:09) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the baby-brained ideas of the far right
DEEPER DIVES
(54:40) SECTION A: PANAMA
(1:16:10) SECTION B: MANIFEST DESTINY
(1:35:47) SECTION C: MUSK
(1:48:38) SECTION D: TRUMP 2.0
SHOW IMAGE
Description: Composite image of a vector drawing of a confused-looking Trump leaning on a podium with a globe and dice being rolled. A risk dial is on the front of the podium showing an increasing threat level.
Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman | Images from Pixabay | License: Pixabay
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date: 1-6-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: - Why people love villains - How plutocracy kills - Why the path forward is through membership organizations
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REFERENCES:
Democracy Is Not a Customer Loyalty Program
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Air Date 1/4/2025
The murder of a health insurance CEO being met with widespread approval and the risk of going backward on life-saving vaccines pretty much sums up the current state of our approach to health care in this country.
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KEY POINTS
KP 3: The Dark History Behind RFK Jr.'s Health Policies - The Majority Report - Air Date 12-11-24
KP 4: Vaccine skepticism Will the new Trump admin axe the polio vaccine - The ReidOut - Air Date 12-13-24
KP 6: The Health Care Crisis Is The Democracy Crisis - The Lever - Air Date 12-17-24
(48:31) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the racist history of opposing universal health care
DEEPER DIVES
(53:28) SECTION A - RFK Jr.
(1:07:08) SECTION B - Luigi Mangione
(1:22:43) SECTION C - United Health Care
(1:41:01) SECTION D - Health Care History
SHOW IMAGE
Description: A cropped photo of two people holding a handmade sign that says "Healthcare for people NOT for profit!"
Credit: "Demand SINGLE PAYER Expanded & Improved Medicare for All HR 676 Now Protest" by Elvert Barnes, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0
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Original Air Date: 4/19/2023
Today, we take a look at the history and present of the interconnected movements to privatize education and dismantle democracy.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Segrenomics: The Long History of Cashing In On Unequal Education - Have You Heard - Air Date 1-3-18
Ch. 2: Democracy and Public Education: A Future in Peril - Have You Heard - Air Date 8-12-21
Ch. 3: The Hidden Agenda of Privatization with Jessica Piper (pt.1) - Teach Me, Teacher - Air Date 10-31-21
Ch. 4: Betsy DeVos Is Still Making Moves to Destroy Public Schools - The New Abnormal - Air Date 4-1-23
Ch. 5: The Surprising History Behind Charter Schools - WBUR - Air Date 11-4-16
Ch. 8: Diane Ravitch on Pandemic School Privatization - CounterSpin - Air Date 5-22-20
Ch. 9: Racism-High-Stakes Disaster Education | Dr. Ricardo Rosa - TEDxCCSU - Air Date 11-24-15
Ch. 10: The Secret Power of Homeschoolers - VICE NEWS - Air Date 10-12-22
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 12/28/2024
Decades of dictatorial rule in Syria have come to an end, leading to something else to be determined. Israel sprang into action taking control of Syrian land on their border. And no one seems to care what the US thinks of all this, which is telling.
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KEY POINTS
KP 1: Assad Ousted From Syria - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 12-10-24
KP 2: Assad downfall: Is the Arab Spring back from the dead? - Middle East Eye - Air Date 12-14-24
KP 4: Why is Israel bombing Syria? - The Take - Air Date 12-17-24
(53:44) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On closing out the year
DEEPER DIVES
(56:35) SECTION A - THE SYRIAN PEOPLE
(1:38:56) SECTION B - ISRAEL
(2:03:38) SECTION C - HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND THE PROXY WAR
SHOW IMAGE
Description: The sun shining through a Syrian flag flying in the breeze against a clear sky.
Credit: "Close up of Syrian flag" by Ahmed akasha, Pexels | License: Pexels
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date: 6/13/2023
Today, we take a look at the struggle to act ethically, at least by our own measure if there's not a universally-agreed standard to compare with, relating to the purchase of both the necessities of life we all need as well as the more luxury items that get added on top.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: No ethical consumption under capitalism: short deep dive - @professor_neil - Air Date 4-13-23
Ch. 3: "Separating Art vs. the Artist" doesn't work for Harry Potter - Kuncan Dastner - Air Date 4-14-22
Ch. 5: Ethical Consumption - Pullback - Air Date 3-7-23
Ch. 7: Ethical Capitalism: Is It Possible? - Wise Crack - Air Date 7-19-21
Ch. 9: Conscious Consumerism: Does it make a difference - Roundtable - Air Date 7-10-19
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date: 12-23-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Deon (Erin was again missed) discuss: - The Realignment of the right-wing toward economic populism and government programs
- The need for a different kind of government efficiency than DOGE is offering
- The future of the left working to fix government
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REFERENCES: The New Pro-Life Playbook - The New Yorker
The American People Deserve DOGE - The Atlantic
In This House, We're Angry When Government Fails - The New York Times
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Air Date 12/20/2024
There's no denying that things are about to get bad, Trump and company have had years to prepare for their next turn in office, but those preparing to resist also have the benefit of past experience resulting in a response to Trumpism that looks very different this time around.
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KEY POINTS
KP 2: Can Trump Really End Birthright Citizenship? - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 12-12-24
KP 4: Can Trump Really End Birthright Citizenship? Part 2 - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 12-12-24
KP 5: Centrists Signal Capitulation After Trump's Victory - The Majority Report - Air Date 12-16-24
(53:43) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the importance of scheduled maintenance for democracy
Reference article:
Reviving the American Tradition of Fusion Voting
DEEPER DIVES
(1:00:59) SECTION A - IMMIGRATION INTIMIDATION
(1:19:46) SECTION B - BENDING THE KNEE
(1:40:16) SECTION C - RESISTANCE
SHOW IMAGE
Description: Composite image of Trump with his arm out admiring a lit match in his hand in front of a burning U.S. Constitution.
Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman using multiple images from Pixabay | License: Pixabay
Air Date 12/17/2024
Changing the direction of a political party doesn't happen overnight and it usually takes a major disrupting event to shake it out of its well-wore groove. The loss of the Harris campaign to Trump and the evident desperation people have for a new economics that works for people might finally be enough to put Democrats on track to a more full-throated support of economic populism.
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KEY POINTS
KP 1: Jon Stewart On What Went Wrong For Democrats - The Daily Show - Air Date 11-11-24
KP 2: The Democratic Party Is A Rudderless Ship - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 11-21-24
KP 3: 'BERNIE WAS RIGHT!': Corporate Democrat ADMITS DEFEAT - The Kyle Kulinski Show - Air Date 11-18-24
KP 4: Assad Ousted From Syria - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 12-10-24
KP 5: Can Ben Wikler Fix The Democratic Party? - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 12-4-24
KP 6: "Get These Incels to Work" (feat. Hasan Piker) Part 1 - Pod Save America - Air Date 11-27-24
(49:33) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the Democrats perception gap and Ben Wikler for the DNC
DEEPER DIVES
(1:00:11) SECTION A - WHY DEMOCRATS LOST
(1:32:40) SECTION B - TIME TO FIGHT
(1:56:05) SECTION C - MOVING FORWARD
SHOW IMAGE
Description: Photo of billionaire Mark Cuban speaking into a microphone at a Harris Walz campaign event.
Credit: "Mark Cuban" by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
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Air Date: 12-15-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Deon (Erin was missed) discuss: - Why many people want a village, but most don't act like they do - Some proposed solutions to loneliness and building community - How politicians on both sides lack vision on how to improve peoples lives
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REFERENCES: I'm Starting to Think You Guys Don't Really Want a "Village"
Stephanie Harrison - The New Happy: How to stop being lonely
Americans Are Hoarding Their Friends
On Family Policy, Neither Party Has a Vision of the Good Life
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Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
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