Gaslit Nation

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East Palestine, Ohio Feb 15, 2023

Show notes

This week's episode is dedicated to the environmental disaster in East Palestine, Ohio and its political causes and ramifications. As you have heard – or possibly have not heard, since there was an attempt to bury this story early on – on February 3, a massive derailment of a freight train containing hazardous chemicals led to the release of toxic chemicals in the Ohio town of East Palestine, in the surrounding region in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and perhaps even further afield. We do not know, because state and federal officials have refused to give forthright information about this preventable disaster. Our hearts go out to the people of the region and to the country as a whole, for we are all held hostage to this plutocracy and the broken political system it props up. We discuss the Trump administration's destruction of railroad regulations and the Biden administrations' refusal to reinstate them – which led to Biden union-busting in December as railroad workers begged futilely for sick days and safer conditions. Many workers warned of this precise disaster. The American people can see what's happening – left, right, and center – and unfortunately, with few exceptions, officials on the left, right, and center are keeping the truth about the extent of the disaster from the public. We discuss the ramifications of gutted local media, social media networks that hide information with algorithms, and cable networks that look the other way. We also review the decades of corporate greed and horrific labor policies that led to the Chernobyl of Ohio. On a related note, we discuss the appointment of Jeffrey Zients, an investment banker with a history of Medicare and Medicaid fraud, as Biden's new chief of staff. The appointment of Zients, who was responsible to a large extent for Biden's disastrous covid policies in 2020 and 2021, could not have come at a worse time. Zients joins a team of eugenicist advisors who believe that one's worth is solely determined by how much you contribute to the economy – and who believe that if you are elderly or disabled, your life lacks utility to the point of worthlessness. (We wish we were exaggerating, but they say this openly.) This is a terrifying time to be surrounded by, as the Ukrainians say, "oligarchs who see the people as the shit they grow their money in". We are REFUSING to be ruled by them and believe the first step is to speak truth to power and document the crimes. Our bonus episode, available to Patreon subscribers at the Truth-Teller level or higher, is on UFOs! You know, those objects in the sky that the US government is giving us the play-by-play on while they dodge the tragedy in Ohio. We discuss China spy balloons, Project Blue Beam, and much more! We then do our weekly Q&A, answering questions sent in by our Patreon subscribers at the Democracy Defender level or higher. Topics include Erik Prince, threats to poll workers, why the Democrats choose snark over serious prosecution, and much more. Gaslit Nation is a 100% independent podcast – our Patreon subscribers keep us going! Your support allows us to continue taking on these topics and we appreciate your support and our community of listeners! Show Notes: Zoom screening of Mr. Jones on February 25 followed by Q&A with Andrea. Sign up for the event by going to the website: TINY.CC/mrjones. Admission is FREE Suggested donation to the Kyiv Independent - as we need to support "media AND democracy" in Ukraine (and here in the US). Opening clip: https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1625155991724605440 Closing Clip: https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1625277554910273537 The Freight Rail Labor Dispute Was Never About 'Sick Days' (vice.com) Rail Companies Blocked Safety Rules Before Ohio Derailment (levernews.com) Zeke Emanuel on Twitter: https://t.co/c1yEfz2dMG The Corporate Past of Jeffrey Zients - The American Prospect Ohio woman finds chickens dead, questions chemical release from train https://www.wdtn.com/news/ohio/ohio-woman-finds-chickens-dead-questions-chemical-release-from-train/ Animals are sick and dying after Ohio train derailment https://www.wtrf.com/ohio/animals-are-sick-and-dying-after-ohio-train-derailment/?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=socialflow Elon Musk: We're Curbing Starlink's Use in Ukraine to Prevent WWIII https://www.pcmag.com/news/elon-musk-were-curbing-starlinks-use-in-ukraine-to-prevent-wwiii?taid=63ea57b105dea00001f6d1c9&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Manual&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook Tad Devine and Yanukovych work in Ukraine: https://twitter.com/rachelweinerwp/status/1022594989702959104 'Sadness in the whole forest': family of Cop City activist killed by police seeks answers https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/12/cop-city-manuel-paez-teran-family-mourns Eric Feigl-Ding thread on the Norfolk Southern chemical explosion: https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1625155991724605440 American life expectancy is now at its lowest in nearly two decades https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/12/22/1144864971/american-life-expectancy-is-now-at-its-lowest-in-nearly-two-decades

Teaser - UFOs! Feb 14, 2023

Show notes

We discuss one of our favorite topics: UFOs! What are the mystery objects shot down by NORAD? We have some ideas...You can get access to this bonus and every episode of Gaslit Nation by supporting the show at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon by joining the community of listeners at Patreon.com/gaslit: https://www.patreon.com/gaslit

Teaser - The State of the Union and What Comes Next Feb 09, 2023

Show notes

This is an excerpt of this week's bonus episode where we discuss Biden's State of the Union and the GOP troll factory in the House and what comes next for the civil war tremors driven by Trump's Kremlin Klown Kar, otherwise known as the January 6 insurrectionists. We also answer questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender tier and higher on Patreon about Havana Syndrome, how to organize deep dive research when uncovering corruption, FBI traitor Charles McGonigal, and more! To submit questions and listen to our bonus episodes, receiving every episode of Gaslit Nation straight to your inbox, join our Patreon community by signing up at Patreon.com/gaslit for this and more: https://www.patreon.com/gaslit Show Notes: The Curious Case of 'Havana Syndrome' https://www.npr.org/2023/01/25/1151421770/the-curious-case-of-havana-syndrome

Trump Lost, But the Coup Won Feb 08, 2023

Show notes

We at Gaslit Nation like to think big picture, so like a pair of melting clocks in a desert wasteland we shall force your memory to persist! This week, we look back at the last two years and come to a terrible realization: Trump lost, but the coup won.

Among the points of evidence for this claim: 1) The seditionists and insurrectionists who plotted the coup now control the House of Representatives 2) Trump remains free and running for POTUS 3) Radical right-wing SCOTUS made possible by Trump is tossing out fundamental rights and overruling the public will 4) The US is the first country to not prosecute its own coup plotters, thanks to Merrick Garland's DOJ 5) Other coup abettor officials, like Christopher Wray and Louis DeJoy, remain in office despite their betrayal 6) We still don't know key details about the 1/6 attacks – like who that lady planting bombs was -- and neither the DOJ nor the Jan 6 committee members are in any hurry to provide them 7) The GOP launched an attack on civil rights, called it a "culture war", and liberal officials surrendered in advance.

And there's more where that came from! We ask and answer key questions, like "What the actual ****?" and "What can be done?" Tune in and find out!

Our Patreon bonus this week will be an analysis of Biden's State of the Union address followed by Q & A with our Patreon subscribers. We are recording on Wednesday and will release the episode later in the week. To send us a question and get an in-depth answer, subscribe at the Democracy Defender level or higher; to get a weekly bonus episode and other perks, subscribe at the Truth-Teller level or higher. Gaslit Nation is a 100% independent podcast, and the only reason we have that freedom is because of supporters like you. If you appreciate what we're doing and would like to keep it going, please consider subscribing on Patreon!

Show Notes

Join the virtual February 25 7:30pm screening of Mr. Jones followed by a live audience Q&A with Andrea to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia's total war invasion of Ukraine: https://www.mobilize.us/mediademocracyproject/event/548495/

A Book Deal Isn't Justice Feb 01, 2023

Show notes

Hey DOJ – quit writing and start indicting! This week we discuss the ongoing grotesque trend of former officials writing books about all the crimes they didn't solve instead of actually protecting our country while in office. This is a long-brewing crisis going back to the days of John Bolton and James Comey, and its latest iteration is Mark Pomerantz, another lawyer lackey timing his "tell-all" for maximum profits and minimum democracy. We discuss how NDAs block the public from vital info and how the publishing industry has created an incentive for officials to remain silent about – or even participate in -- state crimes.

We continue to discuss the case of Charlie McGonigal – the indicted FBI official who was secretly working for sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska – in the context of a broader look at corruption in the so-called "department of justice." We examine the factors that contribute to this crisis including insularity, elitism, and nepotistic networks. We also destroy the myth that authoritarianism and law are two separate categories and that expertise on one negates knowledge of the other. Mafia states are in fact dependent on the judiciary, which functions as the cage bars of autocracy. If you understand how the judicial system works in a typical kleptocracy, the Biden and Trump DOJs will strike you as familiar. This is why the "legal pundits" polluting our airways with savior syndrome myths are not only vapid, but, over time, dangerous, as they destroy public expectations of good governance.

We also discuss the difficulty of parenting during this era of flagrant injustice. It's Merrick Garland's DOJ, but our children will have to live in its aftermath.

For our bonus episode, available to Patreon subscribers at the Truth-Teller lever or higher, we answer questions from our listeners. Among the topics covered are Fani Willis and the Georgia investigation, what happens if Trump is indicted, Ron DeSantis lackey Christina Pushaw, and the debt ceiling crisis. We will answer ANYTHING so please join on Patreon and send us your questions! Gaslit Nation is 100% independent. Our independence is what makes it possible to address topics most media outlets avoid. We thank you for your support and for keeping us going!

Show Notes:

The Broken Film – a documentary about genocides. For more information, including the trailer, visit the website: https://www.thebrokenpromisefilm.com/

Manhattan Prosecutors Begin Presenting Trump Case to Grand Jury https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/30/nyregion/trump-stormy-daniels-grand-jury.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur

National Progressive PAC Plans To Back Manhattan DA Candidate Alvin Bragg With $1 Million Cash Infusion https://gothamist.com/news/national-progressive-pac-plans-back-manhattan-da-candidate-alvin-bragg-1-million-cash-infusion

Read the Full Text of Mark Pomerantz's Resignation Letter https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/23/nyregion/mark-pomerantz-resignation-letter.html

Teaser - Elizabeth Warren's Plan for DC Corruption Jan 31, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to the Gaslit Nation Q&A! We answer questions from our listeners subscribed at the Democracy Defender level and higher on Patreon. To access this and all episodes of Gaslit Nation, support the show at the Truth-teller level or higher. You won't hear every weekly episode unless you subscribe. Join our community here: https://www.patreon.com/gaslit

Teaser - Mafia State Enablers Jan 27, 2023

Show notes

Traitors in the FBI Jan 25, 2023

Show notes

Gaslit Nation has been studying Russian oligarch-aiding FBI traitors since our podcast launched in 2018, and what did we get for our diligent efforts? Yet another traitor! This week we discuss the indictment of Charlie McGonigal, the former top counterintelligence official in the New York field office who was secretly working for mega-oligarch Oleg Deripaska while pretending to investigate him. (You may remember Deripaska from our classic T-shirt slogan "You can't make a deal with the guy who won the aluminum wars in the car bomb 1990s in Russia, you just can't." Rolls right off the tongue!) We analyze the McGonigal case in the context of familiar Gaslit Nation topics – the top heads of the FBI who went on to work for the Russian mafia, how James Comey betrayed America to serve Semyon Mogilevich, the strange behavior of the FBI and the media during the 2016 election, the partnership between Deripaska and Paul Manafort, the partnership between Deripaska and Mitch McConnell, the desire of McConnell to make Merrick Garland head of the FBI as all this illegal activity was transpiring, and how the McGonigal case and general FBI treason affects Russia's war on Ukraine. This episode was recorded during our second ever Gaslit Nation Live Event and we thank everyone who showed up for this historic occasion! For our bonus, which will be out on Friday, we answered a LOT of questions from our Patreon subscribers! You can listen to our Q & As if you subscribe at the Truth-Teller level or higher, and you can send in your own question and get it answered in depth by subscribing at the Democracy Defender level or higher. Times are tough in media, politics, and life and we are VERY grateful to you for keeping our show going! While other sites put up paywalls, we have kept our weekly Gaslit Nation episodes free and provided free transcripts to keep it as accessible as possible during this information war. We also have been able to retain and pay the same small staff of four people for nearly five years. Thanks to you all for supporting truly independent media, please keep it coming! Show Notes: Our opening song was "We Can't Breathe" with music by Rayna Zemel & Chief Wakil, and lyrics by Chief Wakil & Kelli Wakili. You can find Rayna on Instagram @rayzemel and @wintersrockentertainment, and on Soundcloud at soundcloud.com/rayzemi. Correction to live taping: Special Counsel John Durham didn't indict computer scientists, only a cybersecurity lawyer in regards to the Trump-Alfa Bank allegations: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/01/us/politics/trump-alfa-bank-indictment.html Charles McGonigal Named Special Agent in Charge of the Counterintelligence Division for the New York Field Office — FBI Former Senior F.B.I. Official in New York Charged With Aiding Oligarch https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/23/nyregion/fbi-money-laundering-charles-mcgonigal.html Former senior FBI official accused of working for Russian he investigated https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/01/23/mcgonigal-deripaska-indictment-fbi/ Russian Oligarch and Associates Indicted on U.S. Sanctions Charges https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/29/us/politics/russian-oligarch-sanctions-citizenship.html Trump Server Mystery Produces Fresh Conflict https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/01/us/politics/trump-alfa-bank-indictment.html Here's How Donald Trump's Paul Manafort Helped Create Chaos In Ukraine https://www.thedailybeast.com/heres-how-donald-trumps-paul-manafort-helped-create-chaos-in-ukraine Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska & his links to British politicians - BBC Newsnight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziKUzn-5UcU Trump Server Mystery Produces Fresh Conflict https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/01/us/politics/trump-alfa-bank-indictment.html Want to Understand President Obama's Foreign Policy? https://www.huffpost.com/entry/want-to-understand-presid_b_6834540 Billionaire mogul with Russia ties emerges as major donor to Hochul, numerous pols https://nypost.com/2022/03/06/billionaire-mogul-with-russia-ties-emerges-as-major-donor-to-hochul/ U.S. Politicians Can't Stop Taking Len Blavatnik's Money https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2019/10/21/u-s-politicians-cant-stop-taking-len-blavatniks-money/

Teaser - Florida Super Special (Part 1) Jan 21, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to a series we're now doing called the Florida Super Special. Since the state of Florida has had such a big impact on the hellscape we now find ourselves in, setting things off with helping bring George W. Bush and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse to power in 2000, this may be our first Florida Super Special, but it won't be our last. In this bonus, you'll hear just some of the ways Russian intelligence is keeping the FBI busy in Florida, and what that might mean for the 2024 presidential election which might see Russian asset Trump anoint DeSantis as his successor. For those who want to buy a ticket to the Gaslit Nation Live Taping and Live Audience Q&A this coming Tuesday January 24 at 12pm ET, you can do so by supporting the show at the Democracy Defender level or higher on Patreon.com/gaslit -- you can always cancel or switch back to your current support tier once the taping is done. We'll send out the Zoom details Tuesday morning to subscribers on Patreon at the Democracy Defender level or higher. The Zoom link goes live at 11:45am ET where early birds can hear Sarah and Andrea plan that week's show before hitting the record button at noon ET. We'll post the video of the episode (but not the Q&A) for subscribers to the Truth-teller level and higher. We're not posting the video of the Q&A of the live taping since some participants prefer not to be shown and would like to protect their privacy, which we understand. So come join us, if you can, on Tuesday!

The Real Story of the Biden Documents Jan 18, 2023

Show notes

Join Gaslit Nation for a live taping January 24 at 12pm EST and stay for the live Q&A. Get tickets by supporting the show at the Democracy Defender ($10) or higher on Patreon by visiting Patreon.com/Gaslit. Join fifteen minutes early, at 11:45am EST, to see Sarah and Andrea put together the show before hitting the record button! *** For a month, we at Gaslit Nation have been pulling together disparate strands in the saga of Biden and Trump and the classified records found in each of their homes in order to weave you the tapestry of horrors we present on today's program! At heart, this is not a story about Biden or Trump, but about the DOJ enabling elite criminal impunity in order to protect the secrets of broken institutions…like the DOJ itself. We break down the Biden documents and the new special counsel, the differences between Biden's case and Trump's, how the House GOP plans to weaponize the case and how the DOJ seeks to equivocate in order to weasel out of enforcing accountability, what a Biden impeachment trial would look like, whether Biden will pull a Nixon and resign, and what various successors should look like if he quits or decides not to run again in 2024. We remain in dangerous times and it is critical to look at the big picture threats. Many of those threats coalesce around one state – Florida! For our special weekly bonus episode, available to Patreon subscribers at the Truth-Teller level or higher, Andrea breaks down the history of Florida's political corruption. (Don't worry, Kathy Hochul watchers – she's planning a New York sequel soon.) We also answer questions sent in from our subscribers at the Democracy Defender level or higher. If you are subscribing at that level, you are invited to a live Gaslit Nation taping on Tuesday January 24 at noon EST! We give more information about how that will work in today's show, and we will post more online, so stay tuned. Gaslit Nation remains an entirely independent show, which is why we're able to do deep dives on topics other outlets are not allowed to touch. (Or are too afraid to touch!) We are extremely grateful to you for making this possible. If you appreciate what we do, please consider subscribing on Patreon to get bonus features and to keep Gaslit Nation going. Thank you!

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