Lever Time

Latest Episodes:

The Supreme Court Has A Billionaire Problem Jun 29, 2023

Show notes

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota and Andrew Perez are joined by ProPublica’s Justin Elliott, who recently co-authored an exposédetailing how Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito failed to disclose luxury gifts provided by billionaire hedge fund manager Paul Singer.

This story follows ProPublica’s reporting from earlier this year about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who also failed to disclose gifts he received from his own billionaire benefactor, Harlan Crow.

David, Andrew and Justin discuss how these new revelations raise questions about the legitimacy of the Supreme Court, why a lack of judicial oversight contributes to the problem, and how powerful GOP operative Leonard Leo ties all of these stories together.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Links:

Justice Samuel Alito Took Luxury Fishing Vacation With GOP Billionaire Who Later Had Cases Before the Court (ProPublica, 2023)
Alito Could Deliver Another Ruling For Billionaire Benefactor (The Lever, 2023)
Clarence Thomas And The Billionaire (ProPublica, 2023)

BONUS: This past Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, featured our interview with Brandon Tizol, a New York-based organizer who was part of the campaign that helped pass a transformative renewable energy bill in the state.

If you'd like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber.

If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever, click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjar

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Deconstructed Podcast: Why Dems Must Play “Chess, Not Checkers” With Political Messaging Jun 27, 2023

Show notes

Today, we’re sharing an episode of the podcast Deconstructed with Ryan Grim, D.C. bureau chief of The Intercept, an award-winning investigative news organization.

In this episode, Grim, speaks with communications consultant Anat Shenker-Osorio, host of the podcast Words to Win, and whose company ASO Communications works with progressive think tanks like the Voting Rights Lab. Grim and Shenker-Osorio discuss why progressive messages often succeed while moderate messages typically fail, and how strategists can meaningfully reframe an ideological conversation to craft a message that resonates and wins.

They also revisit Ryan’s conversation with tech executive and political strategist Dmitri Mehlhorn, who made news last May for helping finance E. Jean Carroll’s defamation lawsuit against former president Donald Trump. Grim and Shenker-Osorio unpack why messaging that gravitates toward the center is less effective than messages that challenge entrenched power.

Links:

The May 6, 2023 Deconstructed episode with Dmitri Mehlhorn

If you like Lever Time with David Sirota, be sure to check out Deconstructed on all podcast platforms and subscribe.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

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Boots Riley On The Writers Strike, Organized Labor, And His New TV Show Jun 22, 2023

Show notes

As the Writers Guild of America strike enters its eighth week, David Sirota sits down with writer, director, musician, and activist Boots Riley to discuss the ongoing labor struggle, as well as his radical new TV show.

In all of Boots’ work runs a deep commitment to social justice and organized labor. In 2018, Boots released the celebrated film Sorry to Bother You, an absurdist dark comedy about race and class politics set in the world of telemarketing. Now, Boots speaks with David about his fantastical new TV series I’m A Virgo, which is garnering rave reviews.

Boots also discusses his roots in political activism and the importance of the writers strike and how its visibility is crucial to the resurgent U.S. labor movement.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Links:

‘Sorry To Bother You’ Director Boots Riley On WGA Strike, Struggle, Solidarity, Sacrifice & AI – Guest Column (Deadline, 2023)
I’m A Virgo (Prime Video, 2023)

BONUS: On next Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, we’ll be sharing our interview with Brandon Tizol, a New York-based organizer who was part of the campaign to pass the Build Public Renewables Act in the state.

If you'd like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber.

If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever, click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjar

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pentagon Whistleblower: The Government Is Hiding “Non-Human” Technology Jun 15, 2023

Show notes

David sits down with prominent investigative journalist Leslie Kean, who earlier this month published a blockbuster report about a potential secret government UFO effort. According to Kean and her co-author, a former U.S. intelligence official-turned-whistleblower recently gave Congress classified information about covert programs that he says possess intact and partially intact aircraft of non-human origin.

Kean has become known for her diligent reporting on UFOs (they’re now officially called “unidentified anomalous phenomena,” or UAP) and how the government is hiding information about them from the public. David and Leslie dig into her new story as well as the long history of UFO sightings and official obfuscation: What does the government know? How long have they known it? And why aren’t they telling us?

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Links:

Intelligence Officials Say U.S. Has Retrieved Craft Of Non-Human Origin (The Debrief, 2023)
Why The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Politico Didn’t Publish a Seemingly Bombshell Report About UFOs (Vanity Fair, 2023)
Glowing Auras and ‘Black Money’: The Pentagon’s Mysterious U.F.O. Program (The New York Times, 2017)

BONUS: Next Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, will explore the Build Public Renewables Act — a landmark piece of climate legislation recently passed in New York state — and include an interview with one of the organizers involved in the campaign.

If you'd like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber.

If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever, click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjar

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Fix Was In With Biden’s Debt Ceiling Deal Jun 08, 2023

Show notes

The country may have narrowly avoided a debt default catastrophe by passing a debt ceiling deal on June 3, but that doesn’t mean we should allow the fiasco to fall into the memory hole. David Dayen, executive editor of The American Prospect, joins host David Sirota to dissect the event, discuss the political misuse of the debt limit, and explore what was traded away in this crisis.

While the Biden administration is literally advertising the deal as a bipartisan triumph, the two scrutinize its controversial implications: slashed budgets, renewed student debt payments, and major fossil fuel concessions. Dayen, who covers the intersection of politics and economics, questions the acceptance of such outcomes by the Democrats: Are these political tradeoffs, or do they represent the party’s true goals?

Links:

A transcript of this episode is available here.

BONUS: Next Monday’s bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, is a deep dive on the climate crisis in the American West, and how new fights over climate legislation there could determine climate policy for years to come.

If you’d like access to this and other episodes of Lever Time Premium, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber.

If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever, click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjar

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Social Media Is Killing Our Kids — Sen. Chris Murphy Has a Plan May 31, 2023

Show notes

David Sirota sits down with U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) for a wide-ranging interview. They discuss the proposed debt ceiling deal and whether Democrats could have done more to stop Republicans from holding the U.S. economy hostage.

They also discuss Murphy’s key legislative focus: social media’s harmful effects on Americans, particularly children, and what can be done to stop it.

According to a survey by Common Sense Media, teenagers report spending nearly nine hours every day in front of screens, 38 percent of kids ages eight to twelve say they use social media, and more than 60 percent report trying and failing to quit social media. All of these findings are possible signs of dependency and addiction. Social media companies won’t address this problem on their own, since their business model is predicated on keeping users scrolling as long as possible.

That’s why Sen. Murphy, along with a bipartisan group of lawmakers, recently proposed the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act, legislation that would limit some of the most harmful aspects of social media from endangering America’s children. David speaks with Sen. Murphy about his proposal, and the larger issues of social isolation and depression plaguing Americans.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Links:

We are senators from both parties. It’s time to protect kids on social media. (Washington Post, 2023)
This Democratic Senator Is Making an Unusual Enemy (The New Republic, 2023)

BONUS: Last Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, included David’s interview with political theorist Adolph Reed Jr. about his new book No Politics But Class Politics. To get access to Lever Time Premium, click here.

If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever, click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjar

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Succession Taught Us About Corporate Media (w/ Frank Rich) May 25, 2023

Show notes

On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David Sirota sits down with writer and executive producer Frank Rich to discuss the series finale of HBO’s Succession.

As the award-winning series comes to an end this Sunday, David and Frank take a look at Succession’s role in popular culture over the last five years, particularly its satire of the media industrial-complex and the American political system. Frank explains how the show offers a larger commentary on power and influence but above all, tells a story about a broken family. David also asks whether it’s plausible for an “intellectual fascist” like the character Jeryd Mencken to succeed in the Republican primary system.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Links:

Frank Rich Bids Farewell to Succession (Vanity Fair 2023)

BONUS: Next Monday’s bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, will include David’s interview with political theorist Adolph Reed Jr. about his new book No Politics But Class Politics. To get access to Lever Time Premium, click here.

If you’d like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber.

If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever, click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjar

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meet The Pundits Who Falsely Blamed Inflation on Workers May 18, 2023

Show notes

On this week’s episode of Lever Time: After corporate pundits spent the last year gaslighting the American public into believing that rising corporate profits were definitely not driving inflation, now economists and financial institutions are arriving at consensus that rising corporate profits are in fact driving inflation.

David Sirota sits down with Lindsay Owens, the Executive Director of the Groundwork Collaborative, and Hal Singer, the Managing Director of Econ One, who have both been sounding the alarm for over a year about corporate price gouging and profiteering which have been driving inflation. The group digs into the origins of the false inflation narrative, which corporate pundits and beltway economists are most responsible, and how policymakers can push back.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Links:

How Pundits’ Inflation Myth Crushed The Working Class (The Lever, 2023)
The Real Inflation Problem: Corporate Profiteering (Groundwork Collaborative, 2022)
With the New Consensus on How Profits Are Driving Inflation, We Must Pivot to New Policies (The Sling, 2023)

BONUS: Next Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, will include our interview with Tara Raghuveer, the campaign director for the People’s Action Home Guarantee campaign, to discuss the skyrocketing rent prices across the U.S. Tara explains who’s profiting off rising rents and what policies can be put in place to help renters.

If you'd like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber.

If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever, click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjar

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Right-Wing “University” Is Coming For Your Kids May 11, 2023

Show notes

On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David Sirota is joined by Josh Olson and Dave Anthony, hosts of The Audit podcast, to discuss the dangerous influence of the conservative media network Prager University (also known as PragerU).

PragerU has become one of the most successful peddlers of right-wing propaganda, as their professionally produced short-form videos often go viral on YouTube and Facebook. Though they originally made videos for adults, PragerU’s “educational content” has pivoted towards children and their parents in recent years. Now, shockingly, PragerU videos are finding their way into the American education system, as teachers across the country use PragerU content in their classrooms, with or without the consent of students and their parents.

This season of The Audit focuses specifically on PragerU, digging into how this propaganda organization got its start, where it gets its money from, and how it's attempting to indoctrinate America’s children.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Links:

The Right Curriculum? How PragerU Infiltrates Schools. (The American Prospect, 2021)
Right-wing propaganda organization PragerU begins targeting children (The Hawk Talk, 2022)
Inside the Right-Wing YouTube Empire That’s Quietly Turning Millennials Into Conservatives (Mother Jones, 2018)

BONUS: Next Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, will include David’s dual interviews with with Brendan Ballou, author of the new book Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America, and Josh Rosner, co-author of These Are the Plunderers: How Private Equity Runs – And Wrecks – America. Brendan and Josh break down everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the private equity industry, which is arguably one of the most destructive industries within the American economy.

If you'd like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber.

If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever, click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjar

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will Artificial Intelligence Destroy Us or Set Us Free? May 04, 2023

Show notes

David Sirota sits down with Dr. Max Tegmark, president of the Future of Life Institute and one of the world’s leading experts in artificial intelligence, to dive into the growing debate around AI. In this deep-dive conversation, Dr. Tegmark breaks down recent breakthroughs in generative AI technology like ChatGPT and explains how it could replace most forms of human labor — for better or worse. They unpack why private interests are barreling forward with commercial AI development and why the Future of Life Institute has publicly called for an immediate pause on all AI experimentation. Dr. Tegmark also explains how AI could be the most transformative technology in human history — and the (small!) probability it becomes the Terminator.

Next Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, will include David’s extended conversation with Dr. Tegmark. In this special bonus segment, Dr. Tegmark describes the safety measures that could prevent the emergence of the most dangerous forms of AI. If those precautions are put in place, he argues, AI could cure disease, stop climate change, end poverty, and just maybe set us free.

Links:

Pause Giant AI Experiments: An Open Letter (Future of Life Institute, 2023)
EU lawmakers' challenge to rein in ChatGPT and generative AI (Reuters, 2023)

If you'd like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber.

If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever, click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjar

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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