Lever Time

Today on Lever Time, we dive into the heart of Capital One and hear from a former employee about the credit card titan’s tactics to keep customers forever submerged in debt. When President Joe Biden moved to cap credit card late fees in March, the financial industry revolted — filing multiple lawsuits against the administration of a man once dubbed one of the banking industry’s favorite senators.Why are the credit card giants so threatened by losing their junk fees? How exactly have they assumed so much control of our financial lives?In today’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota and Arjun Singh go deep into the heart of the credit card industry and its lobbying army to hear how the industry has muscled its way into people’s wallets.

Today on Lever Time, David Sirota sits down with Jerusalem-based journalist Nathan Thrall to discuss what life has been like in both Gaza and the West Bank since the Oct. 7 attack in Israel. The pair also explores what is motivating Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue the war, and why Netanyahu’s iron-fisted approach to the Palestinian territories may be the norm, not an outlier, in Israeli politics.

For months, Joe Biden has struck a defiant tone in his support of Israel despite the concerns of allies and nationwide protests. Biden has been a fervent supporter of Israel throughout his political career, but his current moves appear to be driven by three close advisors who have consolidated control over the administration’s Israel policy. Today on Lever Time, David Sirota and Arjun Singh look at the people shaping Biden’s Israel decisions and get an on-the-ground report on how the war has played out in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. The Lever is subscriber supported. To become a subscriber, and get access to exclusive bonus content, head here: https://www.levernews.com/

Since 2021, economists and pundits have tried to blame inflation on workers and rising wages. But a new bombshell exposé spotlights a different cause: oil companies engaging in an alleged price-fixing scheme with Saudi Arabia and other countries that may have fueled roughly one-third of all U.S. inflation in 2021. A recent Federal Trade Commission case uncovered text messages and documents suggesting the founder of a big oil company colluded with the Saudi government and other oil-producing countries to keep energy prices high. Another lawsuit alleges multiple American oil companies were engaged in a price-fixing scheme. Today on Lever Time, Matt Stoller of the American Economic Liberties Project discusses his groundbreaking reporting on the matter — and explains how this alleged collusion could have played a major role in the country’s inflation crisis.

As colleges and police departments crack down on campus protests, law enforcement are using tools borrowed from corporate America’s ballooning surveillance regime to spy on students — and anyone else they deem a threat. When New York City police raided Columbia University on Tuesday to remove student protesters from a building they’d occupied, Mayor Eric Adams justified the move by claiming “outside agitators” had infiltrated the group. If the claim was even true, how did authorities get that information? What sort of technologies are authorities using to monitor the protesters — and where did these spy tools come from?This week on Lever Time, David Sirota and producer Arjun Singh look at college protests in the age of total surveillance. They talk with Alistair Kitchen, a student journalist who’s been reporting from Columbia’s campus, and explore how corporate America has taught the intelligence community new ways to use consumer data to spy on people everywhereIf you’d like to follow Alistair Kitchen’s reporting, subscribe to his newsletter here: https://substack.com/@alistair Our work is subscriber supported. If you want to support us, and hear exclusive podcast content, head to levernews.com

After years of pressure, the Department of Transportation announced it would require airlines to automatically refund flyers the cost of canceled or significantly delayed flights. Days later, a bipartisan group of senators — who also happen to be some of the largest recipients of campaign cash from the airline industry — unveiled new legislation that could undermine that rule. In this episode of Lever Time, Lever reporter Katya Schwenk unpacks how a small line in a massive bill could quietly kill a consumer protection rule that was years in the making. Our work is subscriber supported. If you want to become a subscriber, and get access to exclusive podcast content and articles, sign up here at levernews.com

Thirty years ago, Amazon was a quirky internet bookseller. But even back then, founder Jeff Bezos wanted to build an empire. Today, Amazon has inserted itself into almost every facet of daily life, and it’s done so by ruthlessly muscling out competition — likely using illegal market tactics.For years, regulators watched Amazon’s growth and failed to investigate claims that the company violated federal law by engaging in predatory pricing. That changed last year when Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan announced she and 17 state attorneys general were suing Amazon and charging it with being an illegal monopoly. The thing is, Amazon probably could have been sued a long time ago. On this week’s Lever Time, David Sirota and Arjun Singh unpack how an ideological movement successfully suppressed efforts to challenge corporate monopolies in the United States for nearly half a century and enabled Amazon’s unprecedented rise. To become a Lever premium member and get access to exclusive bonus podcast content and more, head to levernews.com to subscribe.

Today, we’re excited to announce the relaunch of The Lever’s flagship podcast Lever Time. In this week’s episode, David Sirota and Senior Podcast Producer Arjun Singh discuss the 2024 presidential election and the Democratic Party’s efforts to prevent a real primary challenge to President Joe Biden.Since 2008, the Democratic Party leadership has worked to suppress primary challengers and support incumbent politicians. That approach was on full display during the 2024 Democratic primaries, where the DNC worked with state affiliates to ensure that, in some cases, Biden’s two primary challengers didn’t even appear on the ballot.Given Biden’s consistently low approval ratings and palpable anger over his handling of the war on Gaza, the matter raises troubling questions: Did the party prevent a proper primary because they were afraid of what it could do to Biden? And if so, could their plan to suppress a primary contest backfire and end up hurting Biden in November?This week on Lever Time, David Sirota and Senior Podcast Producer Arjun Singh unpack Biden’s popularity and look to the 1980 Democratic primary, when Democratic senator Ted Kennedy challenged incumbent president Jimmy Carter.Our work is subscriber supported. If you'd like to become a Lever subscriber, and get access to our original reporting and bonus podcast episodes, head here: https://www.levernews.com/

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota introduces the Lever’s brand new podcast, Master Plan, which tells the gripping inside story of how extremists and tycoons orchestrated a system of legalized corruption in America. Hosted by David Sirota, the first season of this investigative series traces the untold history of how a small group of operatives and oligarchs used vast wealth to manipulate key U.S. government policies for personal gain at the expense of everyone else. A transcript of this episode is available here. Master Plan will be released in the summer of 2024. The Lever’s paid supporters will get first, exclusive access to the entire series. Click here to become a paid supporter.If you’d like to subscribe to the free version of Master Plan, click here to find it on your preferred podcast player. Or simply search for “Master Plan” in your podcast app and hit subscribe.Additionally, Lever Time will be taking a short hiatus to accommodate production needs. But stay tuned to this feed for more exciting Lever podcasts coming soon!

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, producer Frank Cappello and reporter Amos Barshad are joined by union organizers Griffin Ritze and Fatou Souare, who are both involved in a current union drive at an Amazon warehouse in Kentucky. Griffin, an Amazon employee who was recently fired as alleged retaliation, and Fatou, a local community leader with the Kentucky African Women’s Association, speak to The Lever about the unique challenges of organizing a large, diverse workforce in one of Amazon’s largest locations — and what their efforts mean for the larger fight ahead against Amazon.In 2022, workers at Amazon’s KCVG air hub kicked off their union drive, seeking increased pay, inclusionary policies for non-Native English speakers, and stronger workplace protections. Due to the size and diversity of KCVG’s workforce, local community groups have also gotten involved. In response, Amazon is apparently doing everything in their power to crush the union effort, including hiring union-busting law firms to hold “captive audience” meetings. In today’s interview, Frank and Amos speak with Griffin and Fatou about the unique challenges of organizing the Amazon hub, the different union-busting tactics the company employs, and how groups like the Kentucky African Women’s Association are working to educate and empower the community.A transcript of this episode is available here.Links:Amazon Labor Union, Northern Kentucky KCVGBONUS: Last week’s bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, featured David Sirota’s conversation with media strategist Jason Kint about how Facebook’s parent company Meta is trying to protect the money it makes from harvesting kids’ user data.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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota is joined by scientist Zach Rausch, lead researcher for social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of the new book The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.According to new research, children in the U.S. are producing lower test scores, becoming more easily distracted, growing less sociable, and are generally feeling more anxious than they were several years ago. Now, researchers are drawing a connection between these detrimental effects on childhood development and modern technology like smartphones. In today’s interview, David and Zach discuss the modern trend of parents “overprotecting kids in the real world, while under-protecting them online.” Zach also explains the unique technological challenges facing young girls in particular, as well as what schools and parents can do to mitigate some of the damage. A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness (Penguin Press, 2024)BONUS: Last week’s bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, featured David Sirota’s conversation with media strategist Jason Kint about how Facebook’s parent company Meta is trying to protect the money it makes from harvesting kids’ user data.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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota is joined by Oren Cass, executive director of the conservative economics think tank American Compass, for a long-form discussion about Oren’s new brand of conservative economic policy — one that calls for empowering workers and labor unions, rather than crushing them into dust. According to American Compass’ website, their work focuses on “developing the conservative economic agenda to supplant blind faith in free markets with a focus on workers.”In today’s episode, David interviews Oren about his new vision for Republican economics, which includes the idea that the labor movement is one of the best mechanisms for delivering material gains to working families. They also get into a friendly debate over the effectiveness of the social safety net, the best policy prescriptions to combat climate change, and the culture war around identity politics.A transcript of this episode is available here.Links:American CompassBONUS: On Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, we shared David Sirota’s conversation with media strategist Jason Kint about how Facebook’s parent company Meta is trying to protect the money it makes from harvesting kids’ user data.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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota sits down with Hill Harper, a Democratic candidate for Michigan’s open senate seat, to discuss how the state could swing the 2024 presidential election.Michigan, which proved to be a key battleground in 2016 and 2020, is currently heavily leaning towards Donald Trump. That could spell trouble for President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign — not to mention down-ballot races in a state that, until recently, appeared to be increasingly shifting blue. In today’s interview, David and Hill discuss the political stakes in Michigan, and how issues in the state such as the auto strikes, the Israel-Hamas War, the Enbridge pipeline, and abortion rights are influencing the electorate. Hill, a well-known actor, also talks about the challenges of running as a progressive candidate against the Democratic establishment’s chosen candidate, Rep. Elissa Slotkin, and the influence of big money in American politics. The two discuss the phone call Hill received last November from a wealthy donor who offered him $20 million to drop out of the senate race and instead mount a primary challenge against Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American member of Congress. A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: Biden Has a Michigan Problem, Endangering His Re-Election HillHarper.com BONUS: On Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, we’ll be sharing David Sirota’s conversation with media strategist Jason Kint about Facebook’s parent company Meta, which is currently suing the Federal Trade Commission to prevent regulators from reinforcing a 2020 privacy settlement regarding the company’s monetization of user data from children. 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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota speaks with Denver Post columnist and longtime Republican Krista Kafer, one of the plaintiffs in the landmark Colorado lawsuit that resulted in the state’s Supreme Court removing Donald Trump from the presidential ballot. On Dec. 19, the Colorado Supreme Court decided in a 4-to-3 ruling that former president Donald Trump would not be allowed to appear on the state’s primary ballot because of the Constitution’s “Insurrection Clause,” which bars anyone from running for public office if they’ve engaged in insurrection against the United States. The lawsuit alleged that Trump had engaged in insurrection during the lead-up to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take up the case, which will determine whether Trump can be disqualified in Colorado. Now that Trump has won the Iowa caucus with a record 51 percent of the vote, it’s looking increasingly likely that Trump will become the Republican nominee for president, making the Supreme Court’s decision even more pivotal for the 2024 election, as it could have far-reaching implications for lawsuits in other states seeking to prevent Trump from appearing on the ballot. The high court is expected to reach a decision shortly after arguments are heard on February 8th.In today’s interview, David speaks with Krista about why she decided to join the Colorado lawsuit and why she believes a Trump re-election needs to be stopped. They also question if legal challenges against Trump may have the unintentional side effect of empowering him within his base and whether defeating him legally is enough to defeat Trumpism for the long term. A transcript of this episode is available here.BONUS: Last week’s bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, features our interview with journalist and sports writer Matt Brown, about how the private equity industry could soon be getting its claws into college football. If you’re a fan of college football who cares about the integrity of your favorite team, this interview goes into detail about how Wall Street could fundamentally change how college football works, for both players and fans.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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota is joined by Bill McGee, a Senior Fellow for Aviation and Travel at the American Economic Liberties Project, and investigative journalist Maureen “Moe” Tkacik to discuss how the air travel industry has been transformed from the paragon of engineering and innovation into cost-cutting, regulation-dodging piggy banks for Wall Street investors. Last Friday, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 experienced what could have been a deadly disaster when a plug door was ripped from the plane mid-flight. Luckily, no one was killed and there were only a few minor injuries. But this incident spotlights what critics say is a systemic problem in airline manufacturing and oversight: years of cutting costs, spurred by the Wall Street-ification of companies like aircraft manufacturer Boeing. This past week, The Lever reported that employees at Spirit AeroSystems, Boeing’s main subcontractor for plug doors and other parts of the frame, allegedly warned the company about safety issues but were instructed to falsify documents instead. Incidents like these may have resulted from companies like Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems chasing higher profit margins at the expense of quality manufacturing and service.In today’s interview, David, Bill, and Moe discuss how airlines' demands to cram passengers into planes may have resulted in this past week’s Alaska Airlines technical malfunction. Bill and Moe also explain how the airline regulators at the Federal Aviation Administration have been asleep at the wheel for decades when it comes to oversight, and how the profit-driven corporate governance at companies like Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems has contributed to this sprawling crisis.A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: Boeing Supplier Ignored Warnings Of “Excessive Amount Of Defects,” Former Employees Allege (The Lever, 2023)BONUS: This past Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, features our interview with journalist and sports writer Matt Brown, about how the private equity industry could soon be getting its claws into college football. If you’re a fan of college football who cares about the integrity of your favorite team, this interview goes into detail about how Wall Street could fundamentally change how college football works, for both players and fans.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

Today, we’re sharing another episode of the podcast Deconstructed, from our friends over at The Intercept, an award-winning investigative news organization.The 2008 economic crisis changed the world. In the United States, the meager response by Barack Obama and the Democratic Party produced a recovery that was far too slow, drove an eviction crisis, and fueled a populist backlash. On the left, that backlash took the form of Occupy Wall Street, which put the problem of wealth and income inequality — the 99 percent versus the 1 percent — into the national political conversation for the first time since the Great Depression. Followed a few years later by the Movement for Black Lives and an upsurge of climate activism, the new radical energy among young people prepped the ground for the first Bernie Sanders campaign. In 2016, the Vermont senator came shockingly close to the presidential nomination. In the wake of Sanders’ campaign, a chunk of his staff that focused on organizing grassroots supporters decided to quit and try something new: They would recruit and support Bernie-style populists and take over the House.On this episode of Deconstructed, Ryan Grim brings us another audio documentary, adapted from an excerpt of his newest book, The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution. This episode chronicles the 2008 economic crisis, Obama’s election, and zeroes in on how individual members of the Squad became politicized.If you like Lever Time, be sure to check out Deconstructed on all podcast platforms and subscribe.Links: The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution (Macmillan, 2023)A transcript of this episode is available here.

Today, we’re sharing an episode of the podcast Deconstructed, from our friends over at The Intercept, an award-winning investigative news organization.When Bernie Sanders launched his first presidential campaign in 2015, the political world could not have been more different than how it is today. His run set in motion a movement — or, really, a series of movements that clashed and blended over the ensuing years, reshaping both the Democratic Party and the country.In this episode of Deconstructed, host Ryan Grim narrates an excerpt of his new book, The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution. Throughout the narrative, the team at Deconstructed has spliced in with interviews, speeches, and newscasts, turning it into an audio documentary. The first episode takes you inside the first Sanders campaign, and explores the tension between the right wing of the Democratic Party and Sanders’s “political revolution.” Part two, which will be published next week, looks back at the historical forces that pushed members of the Squad into politics — and the spotlight.If you like Lever Time, be sure to check out Deconstructed on all podcast platforms and subscribe.Links: The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution (Macmillan, 2023)A transcript of this episode is available here.

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota is joined by Vox senior correspondent Zack Beauchamp, who recently authored a provocative article about how Israel’s mass violence against Palestinians in Gaza could prompt a backlash to right-wing Zionism and a resurgence of the “Liberal Zionist” political tradition. The modern debate surrounding Zionism tends to be fraught, accompanied by decades of historical baggage and confusion over the term’s many meanings. In a literal sense, Zionism is defined as, “the belief that there should be an independent Jewish state.” Today, the dominant concept of Zionism is embodied by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is using the term to justify the mass murder and displacement of Palestinians. But historically, Zionism also encapsulated the concept of liberal Zionism, which imagines an independent, democratic Jewish state that could offer equal rights to all of its citizens, including Palestinians. In today’s discussion, David and Zack explore whether the war in Gaza will ultimately result in the return of the liberal Zionist tradition. They also break down the definition of liberal Zionism and how it’s differentiated from other forms of Zionism. And they discuss the collapse of the liberal Zionist movement within Israel, and the inherent tension between liberal Zionists’ desire for a Jewish homeland and their stated support for creating a real democracy. A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: The Return Of Liberal Zionism? (Vox, 2023)BONUS: This past Monday’s bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, features David Sirota’s interview with Princeton history professor D. Graham Burnett, who recently co-authored an op-ed in The New York Times about the detrimental effects of our ever-diminishing attention spans. This is due to what Graham and his co-authors have dubbed “attention fracking” — Big Tech’s profit-driven strategy to keep your eyes glued to the screen for as long as possible.

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota is joined by award-winning climate journalist Amy Westervelt to discuss her recent bombshell report on how news outlets are raking in millions from the fossil fuel industry to produce greenwashed sponsored content. Amy’s report reveals how outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters, and Politico work directly with the oil and gas industry to produce branded “advertorials,” which straddle the line between advertisements and editorial content. While this financial arrangement raises questions about journalistic biases and conflicts of interest, what’s more troubling is that the majority of readers can’t tell the difference between sponsored content and genuine reporting. In today’s interview, David speaks with Amy about the history of branded partnerships between fossil fuel interests and the media industry, how actual climate journalists feel about this type of sponsored content, and how advertorials promoting carbon capture and clean hydrogen technology provide a smoke screen for expanding oil production. The two also discussed the annual United Nations climate summit, the latest being COP28, which has been slowly infiltrated and co-opted by the oil and gas industry in order to hamper any meaningful organization against climate change.A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: Leading News Outlets Are Doing The Fossil Fuel Industry’s Greenwashing (The Intercept, 2023) Drilled Media BONUS: On Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, we’ll be sharing David Sirota’s interview with Princeton professor D. Graham Burnett, who recently co-authored an op-ed for The New York Times about our ever-diminishing attention spans. Graham calls this the “attention fracking” economy, when social media giants use manipulative algorithms to keep users’ eyes glued to the screen.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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota is joined by author and Washington Post Editorial board member Shadi Hamid to discuss the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza, specifically how this current iteration of the decades-long hostilities is being debated, protested, perceived, and exacerbated by people in America and across the globe.In what has already been a bitterly polarizing decade in American history, the deadly conflict unfolding in Israel and Gaza has somehow managed to intensify that division. While there has been some progress, like the growing number of elected officials who support a permanent ceasefire agreement, the majority of our public discourse surrounding this crisis is heated and unconstructive. But an issue like this requires patience, humility, and a lot of listening. That’s true from the holiday dinner table to the White House.In today’s discussion, David speaks with Shadi about why this particular conflict has drawn more global attention and instigated more public debate than other global conflicts. They also discuss reconciling the right to exist for both Israelis and Palestinians, how to construct a practical path forward that can meaningfully address genuine grievances, and what the changing politics of Israel-Palestine inside the Democratic Party might mean for the 2024 election.A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: The Problem Of Democracy: America, The Middle East, And The Rise And Fall Of An Idea (Brookings, 2022)BONUS: Last week’s bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, featured our interview with journalist and author Cole Stangler about his new book Paris Is Not Dead: Surviving Hypergentrification in the City of Light. Cole’s book explores how gentrification has affected the cultural makeup of Paris, and the public housing policies that have helped maintain the city’s diverse, working-class character.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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, producer Frank Cappello and senior editor and reporter Andrew Perez are joined by health care journalist Bob Herman, who recently co-authored a report for health care industry news organization STAT detailing how the country’s largest health insurer has used artificial intelligence to deny rehabilitation services for older and disabled Americans.The insurer, UnitedHealth Group, has claimed that its algorithm, which predicts how long patients will require rehab services, is used solely as a recommendation. But its subsidiary’s case managers allege the company pressures them to adhere to the algorithm’s suggestions in order to cut off payments as quickly as possible. This issue is affecting Americans enrolled in Medicare Advantage health insurance plans — the privatized version of Medicare operated by private insurers as an alternative to traditional Medicare.In today’s interview, Frank and Andrew speak with Bob about the growing use of artificial intelligence in the health care industry, how insurance companies like UnitedHealth are effectively being run like automobile assembly lines, and how the federal government has largely failed to ensure that the private insurers operating Medicare Advantage plans follow Medicare coverage rules.A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: UnitedHealth Pushed Employees To Follow An Algorithm To Cut Off Medicare Patients’ Rehab Care (STAT, 2023)BONUS: This past Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, featured our interview with journalist and author Cole Stangler about his new book Paris Is Not Dead: Surviving Hypergentrification in the City of Light. Cole’s book explores how gentrification has affected the cultural makeup of Paris, and the public housing policies that have helped maintain the city’s diverse, working-class character.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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, news editor Lucy Dean Stockton is joined by researcher Rosanna Landis Weaver and Andrew Behar, CEO of the non-profit shareholder advocacy organization As You Sow, to discuss how they’re using stock ownership in publicly-traded companies to promote corporate change from within. 50 years ago, economist Milton Friedman argued that a corporation’s “greatest responsibility lies in the satisfaction of the shareholders.” In other words, the primary goal of every business is to increase its profits and maximize returns to investors. But in hindsight, even Fortune magazine acknowledges that the ideology of “shareholder primacy” has extensively damaged society. That’s where shareholder advocates come in, since they use their ownership in publicly traded companies to influence company decision-making. Whether it's pushing for transparency, addressing ethical concerns, advocating for sustainable practices, or curtailing CEO pay, shareholders have the ability to shape the companies in which they own stock. In today’s interview, Rosanna and Andrew explain how their organization As You Sow practices shareholder advocacy, including a recent win at Starbucks to reduce their plastic waste. They break down their annual list of “The 100 Most Overpaid CEOs,” which details how some of the highest paid CEOs actually underperform for their companies. And they discuss how the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee recently opened an investigation into As You Sow along with other organizations, as part of their culture war against ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance) investments. A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: As You Sow The 100 Most Overpaid CEOs (As You Sow, 2023) BONUS: On Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, we’ll be publishing our interview with journalist and author Cole Stangler about his new book Paris Is Not Dead: Surviving Hypergentrification in the City of Light, which explores how gentrification has affected the cultural makeup of Paris, and the public housing policies that have helped maintain the city’s diverse, working-class character.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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, producer Frank Cappello is joined by researcher, software engineer, and cryptocurrency critic Molly White, who helps break down everything you need to know about the trial of former crypto billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried.On Nov. 2, a New York federal jury found Bankman-Fried guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy related to the Nov. 2022 collapse of his cryptocurrency exchange FTX. Bankman-Fried stole as much as $10 billion from its customers and investors, according to prosecutors. One prominent cryptocurrency proponent described the verdict as a “new beginning” for the industry — though critics are skeptical that anything has fundamentally changed.In today’s interview, Molly unpacks Sam Bankman-Fried’s trial and verdict, as well as the implications for the broader crypto industry. Molly also explains how the crypto market, despite being decentralized, is more or less tethered to traditional financial markets, and why regulating the “Wild West” of cryptocurrency is more crucial than ever. A transcript of this episode is available here.BONUS: The Lever’s supporting subscribers get access to Lever Premium Podcasts, a private podcast feed which includes bonus episodes of Lever Time. 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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota is joined by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) to examine his first year in office as well as President Joe Biden’s poor poll numbers in the state. According to a recent poll, former president Donald Trump leads Biden in five of six swing states, including Pennsylvania. Yet even with Biden’s waning popularity, Josh Shapiro remains one of the most popular Democratic governors in the country right now. With the second most electoral votes among the swing states, what happens in Pennsylvania could end up spelling victory or defeat for Biden’s re-election campaign in 2024.In today’s interview, Sirota and Shapiro discuss this unique dynamic and what Biden can do to reverse course. They also unpack the election results from this past week’s race for a Pennsylvania Supreme Court seat and what it means for key issues like abortion access and union protections. Shapiro also responds to questions about his new initiative to clean up his state’s natural gas industry, and the effects of those initiatives in the fight against climate change. A transcript of this episode is available here.BONUS: On Monday’s bonus episode we published David Sirota’s interview with Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) about the House’s Israel-Palestine ceasefire resolution as well as American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel lobbying group that has been lambasting the ceasefire effort as well as some progressive House members. If you’d like regular 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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota sits down with Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) to discuss the House’s Israel-Palestine ceasefire resolution as well as the public pushback from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which has been lambasting the ceasefire resolution as well as some progressive House members. Recent polling shows a majority of Americans support a ceasefire in the Israel-Palestine conflict, and yet only 18 members of the U.S. House of Representatives officially support a ceasefire resolution. This is explained in part because America’s political discourse has been dominated by conservative groups such as AIPAC that equate opposition to Israel’s right-wing government to rising anti-semitism. In today’s interview, David speaks with Pocan, who has been publicly calling for a ceasefire. Pocan was recently criticized by AIPAC after he called out the organization for polarizing the national conversation and demonizing Democrats who question Israel’s policies. A transcript of this episode is available here.BONUS: Last week’s bonus episode of Lever Time Premium featured an interview with music writer Robin James and musician Greg Saunier about the the state of the music industry after the online music platform Bandcamp, which was recently sold to the licensing company Songtradr, laid off 50 percent of Bandcamp’s employees amid union contract negotiations.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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota is joined by lawyer Caroline Fredrickson, who recently penned an op-ed for The Atlantic titled, “What I Most Regret About My Decades of Legal Activism.” As the former head of the American Constitution Society — the liberal counterweight to the conservative legal network The Federalist Society — Caroline speaks with David about the strengths and weaknesses of liberal legal activism over the last two decades.Caroline’s piece explores the past errors of the liberal legal movement, specifically how focusing on social issues like abortion rights ultimately stacked federal courts with judges who are lax on antitrust enforcement and corporate power. The result gave the conservative legal movement more money and power to pursue their own goals on social issues, such as the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade and eliminated federal abortion rights.In today’s interview, David and Caroline discuss how this dynamic created a negative feedback loop that bolstered the conservative legal movement, how think tanks like the Federalist Society have indoctrinated a generation of law students, and how the Democratic Party’s focus on identity politics have obscured the federal judiciary’s expansion of corporate power.A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: What I Most Regret About My Decades of Legal Activism (The Atlantic, 2023)BONUS: This past Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium featured an interview with music writer Robin James and musician Greg Saunier about the the state of the music industry after the online music platform Bandcamp, which was recently sold to the licensing company Songtradr, laid off fifty percent of Bandcamp’s employees amid union contract negotiations.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

On this week’s bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, The Lever’s Nick Campbell speaks with music writer Robin James and drummer Greg Saunier from the band Deerhoof to discuss the shifting corporate landscape of the music industry, and the larger dynamics of our economy.The three zero in on a worrisome development: The online music platform Bandcamp was recently sold to the multinational music conglomerate Songtradr, leading to layoffs of 50 percent of Bandcamp’s employees amid union contract negotiations, an ominous sign for the future of the last major independent music sales platform.In today’s discussion, Nick, Robin, and Greg explore the exploitative practices making the industry harder for working-class musicians — and what an equitable music industry could actually look like.A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: The Future of Rock and Roll: 97X WOXY and the Fight for True Independence by Robin James (The University of North Carolina Press, 2023) Miracle–Level by Deerhoof (Joyful Noise Recordings, 2023) What 90s Alt Rock Radio, Woodstock 99, And The Telecome Act Have To Do With Contemporary Right-Wing Media (Robin James, 2022) 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

On Wednesday, October 18, The Lever’s David Sirota hosted a live event with Canadian journalist and activist Naomi Klein and Palestinian-American political analyst Omar Baddar to discuss the ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas and the mounting humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. David, Naomi, and Omar spoke about the historical and political context that led to this moment, the double standard being applied by corporate media outlets in their coverage of Israel and Palestine, and recent responses from members of Congress. They also took questions live on-air from the audience.A transcript of this episode is available here.BONUS: On Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, we’ll be sharing our interview with music writer Robin James and musician Greg Saunier about the the state of the music industry after the online music platform Bandcamp, which was recently sold to the licensing company Songtradr, laid off fifty percent of its employees amid unionization efforts. 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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota is joined by journalist and Citations Needed podcast co-host Adam H. Johnson to discuss the contradictions and hypocrisies of the multibillion-dollar self-help industry — an industry that has long convinced people that unhappiness is an attitude problem, and not a societal issue that needs to be addressed at a systemic level.Adam’s recent story for The Lever exposed how one of the industry’s leading authors, Arthur Brooks, spent decades advocating for economic policies that have immiserated working Americans. As the former head of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), one of the country’s most prominent conservative think tanks, Brooks was paid nearly $3 million a year to help lead campaigns against Medicaid expansion, free college, rent control, and universal health care.In today’s interview, David and Adam unpack how large parts of the self-help industry grifts its customers, the history of AEI and its toxic influence on American politics, and Brooks’ career transition from sower of despair to peddler of happiness.A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: The Happiness Guru Who Immiserated America (The Lever, 2023)BONUS: This past Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, featured David’s interview with Media Matters’ Allison Fisher about Rupert Murdoch’s lasting impact on climate change, since the recently retired media mogul used his control of Fox News and hundreds of other media outlets to spread misinformation and climate denialism.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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota is joined by Matt Duss, executive vice president at the Center for International Policy think tank, and Daniel Bessner, an international studies professor at the University of Washington, both of whom served as foreign policy advisors to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, to discuss the deadly conflict unfolding in Israel-Palestine.In today’s media landscape, discourse surrounding war often falls along disparate ideological lines, polluted with instantaneous reactions and hot takes. More often than not, these practices often dehumanize the extraordinary destruction and loss of human life these conflicts produce, as well as those with personal connections to the people and places experiencing that conflict. At their core, wars are terrible and devastating events that shake the foundations of civilization and should always be treated as such.During today’s interview, David, Matt, and Daniel provide a thoughtful discussion of the events of the past week, including Hamas’ surprise attack on Israeli citizens and the Israeli government's violent response. They also discuss the historical rise of Hamas in the wake of failing peace negotiations, the internal dynamics within the Israeli government and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ideological framework, and the response from the U.S. government.A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: Center For International Policy American Prestige Standing Together BONUS: Next Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, will feature David’s interview with Allison Fisher from the watchdog group Media Matters about Rupert Murdoch’s lasting impact on climate change, since the recently retired media mogul used his control of Fox News and hundreds of other media outlets to spread misinformation and climate denialism.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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota is joined by Matt Stoller, the director of research at the American Economic Liberties Project, who explains the failures and successes of President Joe Biden’s economic policies, also known as “Bidenomics.” In the past several months, unemployment has dropped and the rate of inflation has begun to slow, while consumer spending and manufacturing is on the rise. In a macro sense, the economy is doing well. But according to a recent NBC poll, 59 percent of Americans disapprove of President Biden’s handling of the economy. During today’s interview, Stoller explains the disparity between the economic numbers and how working people are feeling, citing missing inflation data and a host of counteracting economic policies. The two also dig into the current antitrust case against tech giant Google — the biggest antitrust lawsuit in several decades — and what it portends for the future of the tech industry and the economy as a whole.A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: The Missing Inflation Data (The Lever, 2023) BIG by Matt Stoller BONUS: Next Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, will feature our interview with former Senior Advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders, Nikhil Goyal, about his new book Live to See the Day: Coming Of Age In American Poverty, which chronicles the lives of three Puerto Rican teenagers growing up in one of Philadelphia’s poorest neighborhoods as they navigate America’s broken education and welfare system. 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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota is joined by Brendan James and Noah Kulwin, producers and hosts of the wildly popular historical narrative podcast Blowback. Their new season covers the history of foreign intervention in Afghanistan and both the intentional and unintentional blowback from those efforts. “Blowback” refers to an old CIA term meaning, “the unforeseen and unwanted effects, or repercussions to one’s actions.” In Blowback, Brendan and Noah report on the history of America’s foreign policy and interventions — including its efforts related to the various wars in Iraq, the Cuban Revolution, and the Korean War. David speaks with Brendan and Noah about their new season, which goes into painstaking detail about Afghanistan, a country that has arguably suffered more modern foreign interventions than any other place on Earth. They cover Soviet interventions in the country in the 1970s and ’80s, the U.S.-backed rise of the Mujahideen, the September 11 World Trade Center attacks, and the subsequent U.S. invasion and war, which lasted over two decades. A transcript of this episode is available here.Links:BlowbackBONUS: On this past Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, we shared our interview with attorney Jeffrey Simon, who is part of the legal team suing 17 fossil fuel companies for their contribution to a 2021 heatwave that killed 69 people in Oregon’s Multnomah County. 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

On this week’s Lever Time, David Sirota and journalist Laura Krantz are joined by Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb to discuss his research into extraterrestrial life.In 2017, a Maui telescope discovered an interstellar object that astronomers named Oumuamua (Hawaiian for “scout” or “messenger”) that had an elongated shape and an unusual acceleration not explained by gravity alone. That’s when Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb suggested a controversial hypothesis: The object might be an extraterrestrial “light sail” — a thin metallic sheet that could harness sunlight for propulsion. Loeb continued to advocate for scientists to investigate astronomical anomalies, and in 2021, he co-founded the Galileo Project, which seeks to apply scientific rigor to eyewitness testimonies and other evidence related to potential alien technology on Earth.Loeb's outspoken views have made him a prominent and controversial figure. Some people champion his approach, while others accuse him of distracting from legitimate astronomical discoveries and misleading the public. In today’s interview, David and Laura speak with Avi about his scientific approach. They also discuss the recent alien hearings in Mexico’s Congress, how NASA’s own technology for space monitoring and exploration hasn’t been modernized, and how the stigma attached to extraterrestrial study hampers meaningful progress.A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: The Galileo Project How A Harvard Professor Became The World’s Leading Alien Hunter (New York Times Magazine, 2023) Mexican Congress Shown ‘Non-Human’ Corpses In UFO Hearing (The Hill, 2023) Is There Anybody Out There? (A Wild Thing Book) by Laura Krantz BONUS: On Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, we’ll be sharing our interview with attorney Jeffrey Simon, who is part of the legal team suing 17 fossil fuel companies for their contribution to a 2021 heatwave that killed 69 people in Oregon’s Multnomah County. 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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota and Peter Goodman, The New York Times’ global economics correspondent, explore the pivotal role of Indonesia’s vast nickel reserve in the global electric vehicle (EV) revolution and the high-stakes geopolitical chess game the mineral has ignited. The strategic tug-of-war between the U.S. and China over nickel — a crucial component for electric vehicle batteries — has implications for global trade dynamics and international alliances. If China dominates the EV supply chain, what does that mean for the U.S.’ electric vehicle ambitions? The conversation serves as a reminder of how formerly mundane resources like nickel will become embroiled in increasingly complicated geopolitical issues as part of a future reliant on clean energy. A transcript of this episode is available here.Links:Peter Goodman’s article on the subject, “How Geopolitics Is Complicating the Move to Clean Energy.”BONUS EPISODE RECOMMENDATION: From July 2023, “LEVER TIME PREMIUM: Norman Solomon On America’s Invisible Wars.”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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota talks with author Richard Reeves about the growing evidence that men are struggling in modern America. In his latest book, Reeves delves into recent economic and social shifts that have negatively impacted men's lives. They discuss empirical data showing that men are falling behind in both college attendance and graduation rates, and how they are three times more likely than women to perish from “deaths of despair” related to suicide, alcohol, or drugs. The two also explore how the shifting nature of masculinity is being manipulated by the likes of Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz and used as a recruiting tool for alt-right groups. Through it all, Reeves emphasizes the importance of addressing these issues without sidelining marginalized groups. “Problems that are not addressed become grievances,” says Reeves. “And grievances are exploited.”LinksReeves’ book: Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It A transcript of this episode is available 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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, producer Frank Cappello speaks with Labor Notes staff writer Luis Feliz Leon about why a potential autoworkers strike could be transformational for younger union members struggling under depressed wages and limited benefits.Luis has been reporting on the ground about the ongoing contract negotiations between the United Auto Workers union and the “Big Three” automakers — Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis (formerly known as Chrysler). Last Friday, 150,000 autoworkers voted overwhelmingly to strike if a deal isn’t reached by the time their current contract expires on September 14. Under the new leadership of reformist president Shawn Fain, the union is ready to take action if their bold demands aren’t met. In today’s interview, Frank and Luis break down everything you need to know about the ongoing negotiations. Luis offers his perspective on the union’s current strategy for exacting the best possible deal, and what a potential strike would mean for workers and the auto industry. He also breaks down how the union’s former leadership gave away major concessions during the Great Recession, and why a new union dynamic is long overdue. A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: Fired-Up Auto Workers Are Ready to Battle the Big 3 (Labor Notes, 2023) UAW Reformers Just Won Control of the Union. They Want to Turn It Into A Fighting Union. (Jacobin, 2023) Will The Clean Energy Auto Economy Be Built On Factory Floors Riddled With Toxic Chemicals And Safety Hazards? (In These Times, 2023) BONUS: On Monday’s bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, we’ll be sharing David Sirota’s interview with economist Isabella Weber about monetary policy, inflation, and how we can use strategic price controls to rein in corporate profiteering. 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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, Lever news editor Lucy Dean Stockton speaks with former Hawaii state representative and national director of the Green New Deal Network Kaniela Ing about the recent wildfires in Maui.On August 8th, a wildfire swept through the historic city of Lahaina, reducing almost every building to ash and killing more than 100 people. Scores of Lahaina residents have lost their homes, and more than 800 people are still missing as emergency responders address the crisis. As the community reels from the tragedy, people are examining the complicated roles that colonialism, climate change, and private equity played in the disaster.In today’s interview, Lucy speaks with Kaniela, a seventh-generation indigenous Hawaiian, about current conditions in Maui, how the island’s underserviced electrical infrastructure contributed to the disaster, and how the Lahaina community is looking to rebuild. They also discuss Maui County’s landmark climate lawsuit against Big Oil, which alleges that oil companies knowingly made the climate crisis worse by selling and burning fossil fuels.A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: Green New Deal Network Maui Just Recovery Fund BONUS: On Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, we’ll be sharing our interview with historian Harvey Kaye and progressive activist Alan Minsky about the unfinished business of FDR’s Economic Bill of Rights.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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, Julia Rock and Frank Cappello speak with environmental lawyer Julia Olson to discuss a recent historic win for young climate activists who she represents in Montana. This past Monday, a judge in Montana ruled that young people are entitled to a “clean and healthful” environment. The case, known as Held v. Montana, included 16 plaintiffs ages 5 to 22, who testified that the state government’s pro-fossil fuel policies were unconstitutional. Held v. Montana was the first of several youth-led U.S. climate lawsuits to make it to trial. Olson is the executive director and lead counsel for Our Children’s Trust, a nonprofit public interest law firm that represents plaintiffs in a number of these youth-led state climate cases as well as in a federal lawsuit, Juliana v. United States. Julia and Frank spoke with Julia Olson about this historic win, how the case’s legal strategy can be applied across the country, and why the Biden administration is attempting to prevent other youth-led climate lawsuits from going to trial. A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: Our Children’s Trust ‘Gamechanger’: Judge Rules In Favor Of Young Activists In US Climate Trial (The Guardian, 2023) Biden DOJ: “No Constitutional Right To A Stable Climate” (The Lever, 2023) BONUS: On Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, we’ll be sharing our interview with historian Harvey Kaye and progressive activist Alan Minsky about the unfinished business of FDR’s Economic Bill of Rights. 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

On this week’s Lever Time, Audit hosts and friends of the show Josh Olson and Dave Anthony are joined by journalist and media expert John Knefel to discuss how the conservative propaganda operation PragerU landed a major new partnership with Florida’s public schools.PragerU produces short-form video content on politics, social issues, and history. The media organization’s stated goal is to “promote American values through the creative use of educational videos” and “[offer] a free alternative to the dominant left-wing ideology in culture, media, and education.” In 2021 PragerU launched PragerU Kids, focused on “educational content for children.” Now PragerU has raised the stakes, as it was recently announced that PragerU Kids content has been approved as supplemental teaching material in Florida public schools — even though PragerU is not an accredited educational institution. Prager isn’t planning to stop there: They recently published an online petition to get their content into schools across the country. Hosts Josh and Dave, who examined the rise of PragerU in the latest season of The Audit, sit down with John to discuss PragerU’s official entry into the American education system. They break down how PragerU managed to get approved in Florida, how their work plays into the larger conservative movement to capture public education and siphon taxpayer money to fund charter schools, and what parents can do to stop PragerU from indoctrinating children.A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: The lessons Florida public school students will learn from PragerU Kids (Media Matters, 2023) Florida’s conservative PragerU teaching texts labeled ‘indoctrination’ (Tampa Bay Times, 2023) What It Means That Florida Will Allow Conservative PragerU Content in Schools (Time, 2023) BONUS: On Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, we published our recent live chat with Yale law professor Samuel Moyn where we examined whether or not Congress has the authority to regulate the Supreme Court and the troubling legacy of Chief Justice John Roberts.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

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota is joined by Jeff Goodell, author of the new book The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet, to discuss recent deadly heat waves and how they’re a prelude to dangers to come.This past July was the hottest single month in recorded history. In the United States, temperatures rose above 120 degrees in several regions of the country, and ocean temperatures in parts of Florida reached 101 degrees, potentially shattering the world record for ocean heat.It’s not just the temperature that’s rising. Over the past few months, there has also been an increase in heat-related deaths and hospitalizations, including for life-threatening burns people have suffered from falling onto scorching concrete. Heat is the deadliest type of weather, each year killing on average more than twice as many people as tornadoes and hurricanes combined. Of course, the groups that most acutely suffer from extreme heat events tend to be the most vulnerable, like unhoused people, the elderly, and those with pre-existing medical conditions. To examine these problems, Sirota sits down with Goodell, a climate journalist and bestselling author. Together they break down which regions of the country will experience the most severe heat in the future, the limitations of air conditioning as a potential solution, our new geologic era, and how our concept of summer is set to drastically change from fun to survival. A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet (Hachette Books, 2023) The Anthropocene began in 1950s, scientists say (NPR, 2023) BONUS: This past Monday’s bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, featured David’s interview with political economist and economic geographer Brett Christophers, author of the new book Our Lives In Their Portfolios: Why Asset Managers Own The World. 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

On today’s Lever Time, David Sirota sits down with law professor and policy advocate Robert Hockett and former FDIC attorney Todd Phillips, to explain “The Great Bank Robbery of 2023” — a financial grift that very well could be impacting you. The three explore how this complicated bank swindle has become so prevalent, what federal regulators could do to stop it, and how consumers like you can protect yourself from the scam. The grift goes like this: When you deposit your money at a bank, they should pay you interest for your money. That’s because they make money off of it: Banks lend out your deposits for mortgages and small business loans, or deposit money with the Federal Reserve — all of which generate a much higher interest rate return for the banks. The difference is profit.Until recently, banks would pass along increased interest on these efforts to its customers. But over the last two years, as the Federal Reserve has hiked interest rates to combat inflation, banks haven’t been sharing the wealth. Today, the gap between the profit banks generate by lending out those deposits and what they pay their customers is the largest it’s ever been: On average, banks are paying its depositors 0.4% interest, while reaping anywhere from 5 to 7 percent interest via lending. This has resulted in one of the largest upward wealth transfers in the modern economy, from customers to bank executives.A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: The Great Bank Robbery of 2023 (The Lever, 2023) BofA profit surges on interest income, surprise investment banking gain (Reuters, 2023) TreasuryDirect.gov BONUS: Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, featured our interview with climate scientist Dr. Andrew Pershing about “attribution science” — a new technique that can pinpoint how manmade climate change influences extreme weather events.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

On this week’s Lever Time, David Sirota is joined by The Bear writer and Writers Guild of America (WGA) union member Alex O’Keefe to discuss the stakes of the current Hollywood strike. The WGA has been on strike since early May after failing to secure a contract with the country’s major film and television producers. This past week, SAG-AFTRA, the union representing film and TV actors, joined the strike after failing to secure their own contract, putting Hollywood on standstill for the first time since 1960.Over the last decade, the economy of Hollywood has been completely upended by the advent of streaming services like Netflix, as well as the consolidation of major entertainment companies such as the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery. This has led to a “content arms race” as companies have competed to amass their own libraries of movies and TV shows. The result has been a shift to faster and cheaper film productions, which have adversely affected almost all of Hollywood’s workers.In the face of such rapid changes, David speaks with Alex about what the WGA and SAG-AFTRA are demanding from the studios. This includes increased pay for shorter production schedules, residual payments for content on streaming platforms, and protections against AI programs taking over their jobs. The two discuss what’s at stake if workers’ demands aren’t met, and whether or not the unions are being “unrealistic,” as Disney CEO Bob Iger recently put it.A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: LEVER WEEKLY: What Workers Are Up Against (The Lever, 2023) SAG actors', writers' strikes bring revolution to Hollywood (LA Times, 2023) Hollywood Studios’ WGA Strike Endgame Is To Let Writers Go Broke Before Resuming Talks In Fall (Deadline, 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

Today, we’re sharing an episode of the podcast Deconstructed from our friends over at The Intercept, an award-winning investigative news organization. Centrist and right-wing economists continue to advocate for laying off workers and engineering a recession to address inflation. But why not set price controls instead? This week on Deconstructed, host Ryan Grim is joined by James K. Galbraith, a professor of government and business relations at the University of Texas at Austin. Galbraith has an extensive history of working in government, including as executive director of the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress and an economist for the House Banking Committee. Galbraith and Grim discuss the implementation of price controls by the U.S. government and how such measures bring down prices. They also explore how the Biden administration could expand its price control efforts, and how Galbraith’s father — economist and politician John Kenneth Galbraith — was instrumental in setting price controls during World War II.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.

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota is joined by law professor Stephen Vladeck, author of the new book, The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic. The Supreme Court has received a lot of attention in the last several years for its extreme rulings on matters such as abortion rights, environmental regulations, and affirmative action. But there’s another very important court procedure that doesn’t receive nearly as much attention: the aptly named “shadow docket.”These are the cases that occur outside of the court’s regular docket and usually involve urgent matters, such as requests for emergency stays, injunctions, and other types of temporary relief. These cases are often decided through brief orders, meaning without oral arguments, full written opinions, or even disclosing how the justices voted. But in recent years, the court has increasingly used the shadow docket to effectively leapfrog over the appeals court system on major decisions, sometimes with devastating effects.David and Stephen dive deep into the shadow docket’s history, how it continues to undermine the Supreme Court’s credibility, and how most of these decisions are not based on any kind of legal rationale or precedent. A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic (Hachette Book Group, 2023) Supreme Court “Shadow Docket” Under Review by U.S. House of Representatives (American Bar Association, 2021) BONUS: This past Monday’s bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, featured David’s interview with media critic Norman Solomon about his new book, War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine.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

Today, we’re sharing an episode of the podcast Deconstructed from our friends over at The Intercept, an award-winning investigative news organization. In this episode, Daniel Boguslaw, a politics reporter for The Intercept, interviews Senator Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) former political advisor Scott Sears. Boguslaw tells the story of Manchin’s rise in West Virginia politics, his strategic alliance with powerful business interests, and explains how the Senator ended up with such power over the Democratic legislative agenda.In recent months, Manchin has been noncommittal when asked about a presidential run. Meanwhile, No Labels, a centrist political organization funded by dark money donors, is looking to run a split ticket featuring one Republican and one Democrat — and Manchin is considered one of the likely candidates. Sears helped Manchin secure political wins across the state before switching parties and throwing his support behind Donald Trump.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.

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

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 MehlhornIf 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.

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

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

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: California Passes Law To Divest Pensions From Fossil Fuels Supreme Court Won’t Review Ruling Barring Offshore Fracking In California The Leonard Leo Dark Money Behind Kansas’ Misleading Anti-Abortion Campaign Democrats’ Resounding Vote for Debt Ceiling Concessions Won’t Age Well 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