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!
Original Air Date: 9/19/2017
Today we look not so much at hurricanes and the climate science behind them (though we touch on that as well) but focus more on what we can see more clearly when it's illuminated by so-called "natural" disasters, the structural inequality and legacies of decision-making that make these disasters worse than they need to be
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Show NotesAct 3: Breaking News Consumer's Handbook: U.S. Storm Edition - On The Media - Air Date 9-1-17
Act 5: Preventing future floods with data and regulation - @DecodeDC - Air Date: 09-14-2017
Act 6: The Human Causes of Natural Disasters - Popaganda from @BitchMedia - Air Date 12-8-16
(Music from Blue Dot Sessions)
EDUCATE YOURSELF:
We will not be silenced. Stand up for a strong NEPA! (Earth Justice)
Trump CEQ rolls out plans for swift NEPA reviews (Governors' Wind & Solar Energy Coalition)
US people of color still more likely to be exposed to pollution than white people (The Guardian)
Christine Todd Whitman: How Not to Run the E.P.A. (New York Times)
Boston Communities Unite to Democratize Their Economy (Next City)
Written by BOTL Communications Director, Amanda Hoffman
Air Date 5/28/2024
Today we look at the most disappointing yet most idolized false heroes of our day, the titans of tech and the zany hijinks they've been getting up to recently.
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KEY POINTS
1: When a tech company like OpenAI doesn't get the dark message at the heart of science fiction
2: How Peter Thiel Got Rich | The Class Room ft. Second Thought
3: Google's Sundar Pichai on AI-powered search and the future of the web
4: Elon's Reputation is Hurting Tesla
5: Crypto's crown prince in court
6: The Entire OpenAI Chaos Explained
7: Scarlett Johansson's Open AI voice fight shows the need for consent in tech
8: Fascism and the Failure of Imagination
1:03:38 NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the misplaced excitement in private corporations pushing big technological advancements
1:09:33 DEEPER DIVE A: THAT WORD YOU KEEP USING…
1:36:58 B: SiliCON VALLEY, emphasis on the CON
1:53:05 C: MICROSOFT THE DESTROYER
2:10:35 D: THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Composite image where the faces of Sam Altman, Peter Thiel, Sam Bankman-Fried, and Elon Musk are seen through an overlay of stock prices and a growth chart arrow.
Credits: Composite by A. Hoffman. Photos: 1) "Open AI co-founder & CEO Sam Altman" by TechCrunch, Flickr | CC BY 2.0 ; 2) "Peter Thiel" by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | CC BY 2.0 ; 3) "Sam Bankman-Fried" by Cointelegraph, Wikimedia Commons | CC BY 3.0 ; 4) "Elon Musk Presenting Tesla's Fully Autonomous Future" by Steve Jurvetson, Wikimedia Commons | CC BY 2.0
Air Date: 5-26-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - the con of supply and demand economics being about distributing goods with the greatest efficiency, and is instead nothing more than predatory greed - what we value as humans goes far beyond the price of commodities - even more examples of the enshitification of life via hostile experiences from things we've already paid for - how companies restrict functionality to create artificial price points as a way to extract even more from us
REFERENCES: WELCOME TO PRICING HELL
The Gap Between the Price You See and What You Pay Is Getting Worse
Welcome to the Golden Age of User Hostility
Bought a Model Y? Tesla may charge you to use the battery's full range
Corporate America Knows We're Miserable. Is a Toilet Bomb the Answer?
Billy Bragg - Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted
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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!
Air Date 5/24/2024
Assessing the impacts of new diet drugs on physical and mental health in the context of our unhealthy food system and societal fat phobia
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KEY POINTS
KP 1: The world after Ozempic - The Gray Area - Air Date 5-13-24
KP 2: The Ozempic economy - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-23-24
KP 5: Body Neutrality - What The Actual Fork Podcast - Air Date 8-11-23
KP 7: What Ozempic can't fix - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-26-34
(56:10) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the metaphor of the new show format
(1:01:22) DEEPER DIVE A: BUSINESS OF DESIRE
A1: Examining America's Unhealthy Obsession... Part 2
A2: The Ozempic economy Part 2
(1:20:48) DEEPER DIVE B: BIAS AND RISK
B1: What Ozempic can't fix Part 2
B3: What Ozempic can't fix Part 3
(1:31:00) DEEPER DIVE C: BODY NEUTRALITY
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Overhead photo of a bunch of Ozempic pens in a plastic pharmacy basket.
Credit: "Bundle of Ozempic Pens" by Chemist4U, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Air Date 5/21/2024
Whether by the US government playing matchmaker for the domestic weapons industry or through the illegal trade of the 'iron river,' the US is the leading seller of weapons around the world, fueling violence and conflict, oppression and rights abuses.
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FRONTPAGE
FP 1: US Leads Global Arms Sales - American Prestige - Air Date 3-15-24
FP 2: How Washington Plays Matchmaker For The US Gun Industry Part 1 - Big Take - Air Date 10-30-23
FP 3: Can a lawsuit stop Mexico's 'iron river' of guns? - The Take - Air Date 8-13-21
(1:02:19) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the problems with looking for good or bad intentions
(1:08:24) SECTION A:
A1: Inside Biden's Secret Arms Deal - Deconstructed - Air Date 9-22-23
(1:30:10) SECTION B:
B1: Can Mexico win... Part 2 - The Inquiry - Air Date 3-7-24
(1:42:43) SECTION C:
C1: Why America's police look like soldiers - Vox - Air Date 6-25-20
C2: Why US gun laws get looser after mass shootings - Vox - Air Date 7-28-22
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A square version of the American flag with silhouettes of guns and bombs in place of white stars. Three bombs are falling from the pattern across the red and white stripes.
Credit: Pixabay image modified by A.Hoffman
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date: 5/9/2015
Today we take a look at the continuing failure that is the War on Drugs™ as well as some of the signs of hope that we may be making progress toward shutting it down
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Is Marijuana Harmful to Health? - Healthcare Triage (@HCTriage) - Air Date: 04-19-14
Ch. 2: Man Gets 13 Years in Prison for 2 Joints Worth of Pot - @davidpakmanshow - Air Date: 03-13-15
Ch. 3: Legalized Marijuana = Millions For Public Schools In Colorado - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 03-16-15
Ch. 6: Rand Paul & Others Introduce National Medical Marijuana Bill - @davidpakmanshow - Air Date: 03-11-15
Ch. 7: Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders Talk Drugs - Majority Report (@majorityfm) - Air Date: 06-01-15
Ch. 8: Marijuana Shows Medical Value, Feds Don't Give A Sh*t - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 04-12-15
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date: 5-16-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - How mega drive-throughs are ruining American towns and cities - Why giant car washes are popping up across the country and what we could have instead - How Tokyo's beautiful public toilets are an inspiration - The impact boring and ugly buildings are having on our mental health
REFERENCES: RFK Jr. revealed he had a parasitic brain worm. Here's what to know.
Social Media is Not What Killed the Web
Mega drive-throughs explain everything wrong with American cities
Car Washes are proliferating across the U.S. Here's why
Why are they building so many car washes? And storage facilities?
Tokyo's Public Toilets Will Leave New Yorkers Sobbing
The Global Danger of Boring Buildings
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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!
Air Date 5/15/2024
In an age of cultish in-group/out-group politics and media, we seek to find messaging for progressive partisans to achieve electoral success
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FRONTPAGE
FP 1: Everything's a cult now - The Gray Area
FP 2: Examining how U.S. politics became intertwined with personal identity - PBS NewsHour
FP 3: Jason Stanley on the Politics of Language - Amanpour and Company
FP 4: A Conversation About How Dems Can Win in November with Rachel Bitecofer - Deep State Radio
FP 5: Employ Negative Partisanship w. Rachel Bitecofer - Future Hindsight
FP 6: Everything's ... Part 2
FP 7: Hit 'Em Where It Hurts ... Part 2
FP 8: Employ Negative ... Part 2
(59:24) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the importance of finding common-but-adaptable messaging
(1:02:14) SECTION A: IDENTITY
A2: Examining how U.S. ... Part 2
(1:10:14) SECTION B: POLITICAL RHETORIC
B1: 'Hit 'Em Where It Hurts' urges Dems to go on attack - Morning Joe
B2: 'Our message resonated with voters' - Morning Joe
B3: Watch VP Harris slams Trump over abortion access - MSNBC
(1:26:17) SECTION C: MESSAGING
C2: Republican Policies VERY Unpopular With Voters - The Majority Report
C4: Employ Negative ... Part 3
(1:50:33) SECTION D: INDEPENDENTS
Air Date 5/11/2024
The effort to turn theory into practice that will open up new ways of thinking about antitrust lawsuits attempting to rein in big tech and other mega-corporations, which are operating in a new phase of capitalism.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: FTC Chair Lina Khan on Antitrust in the age of Amazon - Planet Money - Air Date 11-3-23
On today's show, a conversation with FTC Chair Lina Khan on what it's like to try to turn audacious theory into bureaucratic practice, the FTC's new lawsuit against Amazon, and what it all means for business as usual.
Ch. 2: Apple's Antitrust Problem - Professor Talha Syed - The BTLJ Podcast - Air Date 3-10-24
Professor Syed reveals his thoughts and assessment of the new Brandeis movement, headed by Lina Khan and Jonathan Kanter of the FTC and DOJ.
Ch. 3: FTC Chair Lina Khan on Antitrust in the age of Amazon Part 2 - Planet Money - Air Date 11-3-23
Ch. 4: How to Fight Monopoly Power with FTC Chair Lina Khan - Factually! - Air Date 11-8-23
Lina Khan, appointed chair of the Federal Trade Commission by President Biden, has become the foremost voice of this movement and has engaged in high-profile battles to reshape how America deals with monopolies.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Real Estate Fees Crushed By Anti-Trust w David Dayen - The Majority Report - Air Date 3-26-24
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the new show format tried out in the campus protesters episode as well as a retraction
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A court document with "Antitrust" at the top sits on a desk with a gavel and block on top.
Credit: "Antitrust" by Nick Youngson via Pix4free | License: CC BY-SA 3.0 | Changes: Added solid background
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 5/7/2024
Civil resistance on campuses across the country against Israeli genocide in Gaza calling for cease fire and divestment, university administrations up to the Biden administration respond, often with overwhelming violence and claims of antisemitism.
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FRONTPAGE
FP 1: The US college protests... - Today in Focus - Air Date 4-25-24
FP 2: Behind Columbia... - Al Jazeera English - Air Date 4-24-24
(47:13) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
(50:54) SECTION A: POLICE RESPONSES
A1: Atlanta Police Violently Arrest Emory... - Democracy Now! - Air Date 4-26-24
A2: Juan González, Veteran of '68 Columbia Strike... - Democracy Now! - Air Date 5-1-24
(1:06:59) SECTION B: INSIDE THE PROTESTS
B1: Pro-Israel THUGS Attack... - Owen Jones - Air Date 5-1-24
B2: Live from the Encampments - CODEPINK Radio - Air Date 5-1-24
(1:34:52) SECTION C: BIDEN'S POLITICS AND ACCUSATIONS OF ANTISEMITISM
C1: Nicholas Kristof ... Part 2 - Brian Lehrer - Air Date 4-26-24
C2: Manufactured Panic Over Peaceful... - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-23-24
(1:57:05) SECTION D: UNIVERSITY ADMINS AND ENDOWMENTS
D1: Why Colleges Have No Idea... - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 4-23-24
D2: Columbia University President ... - The Bitchuation Room - Air Date 4-27-24
(2:37:42) SECTION E: MEDIA CRITICISM
IMAGE
Description: A photo of a lawn in front of a university building at Vassar College showing students standing near tents, a sign that reads "Liberation," and a Palestinian flag along a walkway.
Credit: "Liberation Lawn at Vassar College (cropped)" by Found5dollar, Wikimedia | License: CC BY-SA 4.0 | Changes: Cropped
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