Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy

Air Date 7/26/2024 It's clear where the vast majority of violent rhetoric is coming from in the country and it's clear which party is a cult of personality and which puts country before personal power. This is the state of play in our politics. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript | Full Show Notes BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Jeff Sharlet on Trump Assassination Attempt, Authoritarian Violence & Project 2025 - Democracy Now! - Air Date 7-15-24 KP 2: Who Really is Stoking Violence in America? - The Hartmann Report - Air Date 7-15-24 KP 3: The Long Simmer of Political Violence in America - The Atlantic - Air Date 7-15-24 KP 4: In "Unity" Speech, Trump Demonizes Migrants, Spreads Lies & Embraces Authoritarianism - Democracy Now! - Air Date 7-19-24 KP 5: Jon Stewart on Biden 2024: It Is What It Is? - The Weekly Show With Jon Stewart - Air Date 7-11-24 KP 6: You did it, Joe - Today, Explained - Air Date 7-22-24 (51:48) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On why it's OK to have a bit of hope even if it's uncomfortable DEEPER DIVES (57:02) SECTION A: BIDEN STEPS DOWN A1: "Beating Donald Trump Is Vital": Mehdi Hasan on Joe Biden Dropping Out, Kamala Harris, Gaza & More - Democracy Now! - Air Date 7-22-24 A2: Fox News MELTS DOWN Over Kamala Harris - The Rational National - Air Date 7-22-24 (1:12:23) SECTION B: VIOLENCE AND VIOLENT RHETORIC (1:21:33) SECTION C: THE RNC (1:57:29) SECTION D: CONSPIRACY SHOW IMAGE: Description: Composite image: In background, a photo from the RNC with image of Trump making a fist after the assassination attempt on every screen. In the foreground, Biden's letter telling America he is not running for reelection. Beside it, a photo of a smiling Vice President Kamala Harris. Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Photo: "Kamala Harris" by Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped around subject

Published: 26 July 2024

Original Air Date: 11/15/2022 Today, we take a look at our extremely steady history of political violence from the Revolution, through the Civil War, Reconstruction and Jim Crow, into the Civil Rights era, the Militia Movement and domestic terrorism, and now to our current once-again-radicalized, right-wing movement willing to use and tacitly condone violence as a political tactic. Transcript Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Capitol Attack Wasn't the 1st Violent Incident in Congress - Inside Edition - Air Date 1-20-22 Ch. 2: A history of US political violence Part 1 - Americast - Air Date 11-2-22 Ch. 3: Storm of White Right Wing Violence Isn't Coming... It's Here Featuring Luke Mogelson Part 1 - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 9-15-22 Ch. 4: Political Violence Is No Anomaly in American History - System Check - Air Date 1-8-21 Ch. 5: Today's Republicans were made in the 1990s - The Gray Area with Sean Illing - Air Date 11-7-22 Ch. 6: Storm of White Right Wing Violence Isn't Coming... It's Here Featuring Luke Mogelson Part 2 - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 9-15-22 Ch. 7: Some Democrats call on McCarthy to resign after comment 'hard not to hit' Pelosi with speaker's gavel - ABC News - Air Date 8-2-21 Ch. 8: Paul Pelosi attacked with hammer in his home - ABC News - Air Date 10-29-22 Ch. 9: A history of US political violence Part 2 - Americast - Air Date 11-2-22 Ch. 10: Political Violence - In the Thick - Air Date 11-4-22 MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 11: Today's Republicans were made in the 1990s Part 2 - The Gray Area with Sean Illing - Air Date 11-7-22 Show Image: Description: A newspaper cartoon/drawing of Senator Sumner being beaten on the floor of the Senate with a cane by Sen. Preston Brooks in 1856. Credit: “Southern Chivalry - Argument vs. Clubs” by J.L. Magee, 1856 | Public Domain

Transcribed - Published: 23 July 2024

Air Date: 7-21-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Deon (Erin couldn't join us) discuss: - Deon's hatred of old people - How the media industry's failing state led to ineffective coverage of the Biden age story - Amanda's excellent sports analogy - The factors that have lead to America's worsening gerontocracy REFERENCES: Did the media botch the Biden age story? Jon Stewart Examines Biden’s Future Amidst Calls For Him to Drop Out | The Daily Show Inside the Complicated Reality of Being America’s Oldest President Biden, turning 80, faces renewed age questions as he weighs reelection Our U.S. Gerontocracy Needs to Go (and Biden Isn’t Even the Worst) Why American politicians are so old Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Transcribed - Published: 21 July 2024

Air Date 7/20/2024 Extremism comes in many forms and we live in an era in which way too many of them are on display simultaneously, but it's not coincidence. The far right has been working toward an extremist Supreme Court for decades. Christian Nationalists have similarly been trying to impose their rigid view of far-right Christianity on the rest of us for a very long time. The far-right Heritage Foundation now deems this to be the time to attempt to radicalize the federal bureaucracy, and far-right calls for political violence and lax gun laws resulted in an environment where no one was really all that surprised about the assassination attempt against Donald Trump. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Opinionpalooza The Supreme Court End-of-Term Breakfast Table - Amicus - Air Date 7-6-24 KP 2: Opinionpalooza This SCOTUS Decision Is Actually Even More Devastating Than We First Thought - Amicus - Air Date 7-13-24 KP 3: Just Decide the EMTALA Case Already, You Cowards - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 6-27-24 KP 4: What is Project 2025 - Today, Explained - Air Date 7-11-24 KP 5: Project 2025 would allow Trump to target his enemies through the judicial system - The ReidOut - Air Date 7-10-24 KP 6: Republicans issue vile reaction to Trump shooting - No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen - Air Date 7-15-24 KP 7: Project 2025 would allow Trump to target his enemies through the judicial system Part 2 - The ReidOut - Air Date 7-10-24 KP 8: What is Christian nationalism and why it raises concerns about threats to democracy - PBS Newshour - Air Date 2-1-24 (57:30) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On what should come next for the Democrats DEEPER DIVES (1:05:02) SECTION A: SUPREME COURT (1:51:47) SECTION B: PROJECT 2025 (2:07:10) SECTION C: POLITICAL VIOLENCE (2:16:21) SECTION D: CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM SHOW IMAGE: Description: Composite. Photo of Trump giving a speech at a podium with the overlaid words "The Plot Against America" next to him against the black background. Credit: Composite by A. Hoffman. Photo: "Donald Trump" by Matt Johnson, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, overlaid text added

Transcribed - Published: 20 July 2024

Air Date 7/17/2024 Recent elections in the UK, France and Mexico spanned the spectrum from confirming inevitabilities to completely upending expectations but they each have lessons for politics in the US Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (20% off in July! Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: The UK Election Results Explained - TLDR News - Air Date 7-5-24 KP 2: Shocking French election results- What you need to know - Zeteo - Air Date 7-8-24 KP 3: The biggest problems Mexico's first female president Claudia Sheinbaum is facing - DW News - Air Date 6-3-24 KP 4: Labour Wins Massive Majority On Low Vote Share, Gaza Costs Starmer - Novara Media - Air Date 7-5-24 KP 5: France’s leftwing alliance beat the far right, but what now? - Today in Focus - Air Date 7-8-24 KP 6: "The North Needs to Learn from the South": Mexico Poised to Elect First Woman President - Democracy Now! - Air Date 5-29-24 KP 7: Who Broke Britain- Part 4- The Tories Are Out - If You_re Listening - ABC News In-depth - Air Date 7-5-24 KP 8: First Woman President- Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum Faces Border And Drug Cartel Challenges - The Hill - Air Date 6-16-24 (1:00:32) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On how to react to the current political moment and all of the many moments to come Article: The Democratic Party’s Strange Attraction to Defeatism DEEPER DIVES (1:10:16) SECTION A: FRANCE (1:44:54) SECTION B: GREAT BRITAIN (1:59:28) SECTION C: MEXICO SHOW IMAGE: Description: Graphic of a partially transparent ballot box with the UK flag, the French flag and the Mexican flag visible in composite in the background. Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Images from Pixabay.

Transcribed - Published: 17 July 2024

BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the Full Show, Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Air Date: 7-14-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Deon (Erin couldn't join us) discuss: - How we're feeling - The philosophy of liberal patriotism - The positive policies Democrats should be running on to inspire voters - The reckoning the current Democratic Party desperately needs REFERENCES: Liberal Patriotism Is About More Than Flag-Waving How to Beat Trump in a World of Unreason Democrats don’t just need a new candidate. They need a reckoning. Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Transcribed - Published: 14 July 2024

Air Date 7/12/2024 From solar scams to controversial congestion pricing and the smart grid that's needed to connect it all, we look at the messy and difficult path to a low-carbon future. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: When solar power leaves you feeling burned - Today, Explained - Air Date 1-2-24 KP 2: How can we develop new energy technologies and get them deployed at scale - The Energy Gang - Air Date 3-5-24 KP 3: This is what's REALLY holding back wind and solar - DW Planet A - Air Date 6-2-23 KP 4: How to fix clean energy’s storage problem - VOX - Air Date 4-27-23 KP 5: How can we develop new energy technologies and get them deployed at scale Part 2 - The Energy Gang - Air Date 3-5-24 KP 6: The Lost Subways of North America - 99% Invisible - Air Date 5-21-24 KP 7: NYC Congestion Pricing Advocates Slam Hochul for Halting Plan to Reduce Emissions, Fund Transit - Democracy Now! - Air Date 6-25-24 KP 8: Comptroller on Congestion Pricing's Indefinite Pause - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 6-17-24 (54:25) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On how to make the case to Biden to step aside DEEPER DIVES (1:01:35) SECTION A: ENERGY POLICIES (1:20:31) SECTION B: THE INTENTIONAL SOLAR SCAM (1:36:14) SECTION C: PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo of a smoggy traffic jam on a highway, taken from the middle of the lane behind the cars. Cars' brake lights are visible. Credit: “World Class Traffic Jam: Jersey Turnpike Version” by b k, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Slight crop

Transcribed - Published: 12 July 2024

Original Air Date: 2/5/2019 Today we take a look at the history of FDR's "Four Freedoms" and "Economic Bill of Rights" that laid the groundwork for the fight for economic freedom for all that continues to this day. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Harvey Kaye, "The Fight for the Four Freedoms" - Book TV - Air Date 5-11-14 Harvey Kaye examines the progressivism of the Roosevelt-era and argues that a reminder of the "four freedoms" could address today's political and social issues. Ch. 2: What Ted Cruz Doesn't Get About 'Freedom' - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date 7-21-16 Thom talks about Ted Cruz's speech at the Republican Convention and compares his definition of 'freedom' with the way it was described by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Ch. 3: An Overdue Second Bill of Rights Part 1 - Progressive Faith Sermons w @RevDrRay - Air Date 10-7-18 F.D.R. recognized that the original bill of rights would not be enough to make all American’s truly free and proposed an economic bill of rights. Of the eight amendments he proposed in 1944, seven are still waiting to be implemented. Ch. 4: Fighting for the Four Freedoms - @BillMoyersHQ And Company - Air Date 4-15-14 Historian Harvey J. Kaye talks about how FDR was able to mobilize Americans to create "the strongest and most prosperous country in human history." Ch. 5: Libertarian Definition of "Freedom" is Freedom in Name Only - Majority Report (@MajorityFM) - Air Date 8-1-13 Explaining that libertarian thinking doesn't incorporate the existence of economic coercion Ch. 6: An Overdue Second Bill of Rights Part 2 - Progressive Faith Sermons w @RevDrRay - Air Date 10-7-18 Ch. 7: Bernie Sanders & FDR's Second Bill of Rights - Berniementum - Air Date 8-12-15 President FDR's Second Bill of Rights speech - January 11, 1944 Sen. Bernie Sanders speech at the National Press Club - Mar. 9, 2015 Music - "There is Romance" by Imcompetech Ch. 8: Fight for the Four Freedoms What Made FDR & the Greatest Generation Truly Great (w: Harvey J Kaye) - Majority Report (@MajorityFM) - Air Date 9-9-15 University of Wisconsin Professor Harvey J Kaye author of Fight for the Four Freedoms: What Made FDR and the Greatest Generation Truly Great, explains Ronald Reagan and the great pushback against a progressive America Ch. 9: An Overdue Second Bill of Rights Part 3 - Progressive Faith Sermons w @RevDrRay - Air Date 10-7-18

Transcribed - Published: 9 July 2024

Air Date: 7-7-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - Some stuff that we planned and A LOT more that we did not. REFERENCES: The Cause That Turned Idealists Into Authoritarian Zealots 'Extreme wealth as power must be regulated’: 31-year-old heiress is letting 50 strangers give her $27 million fortune away The Baffling Disaster Unfolding at the Washington Post The Democratic Governor Whose Message Can’t Be Beat Best of the Left #1247 The Fight for the Four Freedoms (FDR vs. Libertarianism) The Fight for the Four Freedoms Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Transcribed - Published: 7 July 2024

Air Date 7/5/2024 China is an undeniable force in the world relating to several major political issues and to address their influence without a deep understanding of the history, context, and current dynamics would be to invite 100 years of humiliation. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Joe Biden's Radical Worldview - More Perfect Union - Air Date 6-27-24 KP 2: Why China Doesn't Identify with the West, Explained - Siming Lan - Air Date 9-23-22 KP 3: Has China's Belt and Road Initiative been a success? - Financial Times - Air Date 10-30-23 KP 4: Why China Isn't the Problem - Our Changing Climate - Air Date 5-5-23 KP 5: The Escalating Sino-Philippine South China Sea Dispute Explained - TLDR News Global - Air Date 6-26-24 KP 6: Why China's Economy is Finally Slowing Down - Wendover - Air Date 3-21-24 KP 7: Our New Global Economy - Johnny Harris - Air Date 12-20-23 (1:04:13) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On how Joe Biden can become a hero in the wake of his debate with Trump DEEPER DIVES (1:12:51) SECTION A: CHINA'S ECONOMIC FOREIGN POLICY A1: Kidnappings and ghost towns on China’s Belt and Road: 10 years of Xi Jinping’s masterplan | Dispatch - The Telegraph - Air Date 9-7-23 A2: Has Africa gained from China's infrastructure plans? - Focus on Africa - Air Date 10-20-23 A3: China-Africa Relations in the Era of Great Power Competition - The China in Africa Podcast - Air Date 5-9-24 SEE FULL SHOW NOTES (1:37:10) SECTION B: THE EV WARS (1:59:44) SECTION C: TECH AND SPACE RACE (2:14:44) SECTION D: ESCALATING TENSIONS MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: An illustration of a darkened, draped Chinese flag, with its 5-star pattern, close up. Credit: "China flag" by The Digital Artist, Pixabay | Pixabay License |Changes: Added dark overlay

Transcribed - Published: 5 July 2024

Air Date 7/2/2024 Border security around the world continues to take turns for the dark and dystopian as right-wing sentiment against migrants and refugees continues to escalate to the extreme. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript Air Date 7/2/2024 Border security around the world continues to take turns for the dark and dystopian as right-wing sentiment against migrants and refugees continues to escalate to the extreme. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: First Illinois Latina Rep. Praises Biden's New Immigration Executive Order But Slams Border Shutdown - Democracy Now! - Air Date 6-20-24 KP 2: EU Border Enforcement, Part 1 - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 6-4-24 KP 3: Migrants & Refugees, the Pope & Volkswagen - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Air Date 5-26-24 KP 4: Tunisia, EU scrutinized for harsh treatment of migrants along route from Africa to Europe - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 8-7-23 KP 5: Why Are Migrants Becoming AI Test Subjects? With Petra Molnar - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 6-20-24 KP 6: EU Border Enforcement, Part 2 - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 6-5-24 KP 7: Why Are Migrants Becoming AI Test Subjects? With Petra Molnar Part 2 - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 6-20-24 (52:45) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On our summer membership drive DEEPER DIVES (57:32) SECTION A: POLITICIZATION OF THE BORDER (1:19:47) SECTION B: BRUTAL BORDER ENFORCEMENT (1:36:40) SECTION C: BORDER INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX (1:48:14) SECTION D: MIGRANT STORIES SHOW IMAGE: Description: Composite graphic showing a deep blue ocean with the gold stars of the EU flag. On the horizon, a faded US flag is behind concertina wire fencing. In the center, a long boat full of refugees floats on the water. Credit: Composite Design by A. Hoffman. | Composite imagery via Pixabay | Photo: “P52 Migrants 19 July 2015 03” by Oglaigh na hEireann, Flickr. License: CC BY 2.0 Changes: Cropped and reduced opacity

Transcribed - Published: 2 July 2024

Air Date: 6-30-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - the baffling trend of tech companies using cautionary tales from dystopian fiction as a blueprint for what to create next - how the people who build or champion tools of oppression never think those same tools will inevitably be turned on them - the use of drones as first responders, and the long term effects this has had on the residents - a different perspective on how to think about the end - humanity's seeming inability to think about longterm repercussions of technology before we put something into use REFERENCES: What Is 'Torment Nexus?' The 'Man-Made Horrors' Trope Explained Author of cautionary tale about Torment Nexus creates tech company to build Torment Nexus ‘Snow Crash’ Author Neal Stephenson Is Building a ‘Free Metaverse’ Called Lamina1 The Age of the Drone Police Is Here Watch a swarm of cyborg cockroaches controlled by computers Are We Doomed? Here’s How to Think About It Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Transcribed - Published: 30 June 2024

Air Date 6/28/2024 AI, like all new technologies, won't be all good or all bad. In fact, my favorite understanding of emerging technologies is that they often bring simultaneous utopia and dystopia, though many tend to focus on the benefits while only discovering the drawbacks later. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS 1: We’re already using AI more than we realize - Vox - Air Date 2-28-24 2: AI is a Lie. - Linus Tech Tips - Air Date 6-13-24 3: What Is an AI Anyway? | Mustafa Suleyman - TED - Air Date 4-22-24 4: How to Limit the Threat of "Killer Robots" and Autonomous Weapons That Are Changing Warfare - Global Dispatches - Air Date 3-13-24 5: How Much AI Regulation Is The Right Amount? - FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast - Air Date 6-13-24 6: How AI causes serious environmental problems (but might also provide solutions) | DW Business - DW News - Air Date 4-29-24 7: Why Are Migrants Becoming AI Test Subjects? With Petra Molnar - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 6-20-24 8: Big Tech AI Is A Lie - Tina Huang - Air Date 4-30-24 (1:07:12) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the nature of misalignment between AI and human wellbeing Article: This article is OpenAI training data DEEPER DIVES (1:16:18) SECTION A: MORE CURRENT USES OF AI (1:44:54) SECTION B: POTENTIAL USES OF AI AND THE ETHICS WE NEED TO CONSIDER (2:08:00) SECTION C: REGULATING AI MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE Description: Graphic showing a human hand and a digital pixilated hand reaching out toward each other with arching digital lines coming from the center of each hand. Credit: “Digitization Particles Hand” via geralt, Pixabay | Pixabay License | Changes: Expanded

Transcribed - Published: 28 June 2024

Original Air Date: 10/23/2023 The people who want to pull the country in directions that are only supported by a small minority of the population have to develop very intricate plans to have any hope of succeeding. This is the story of the latest plan to establish unchecked rule to implement unpopular policies supported only by the far right. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: ‘The endgame of election denial is that we shouldn't have elections’: Authoritarianism expert - The ReidOut - Air Date 10-6-23 Donald Trump has ramped up his violent rhetoric in recent weeks. Meanwhile, a Fox host has urged the U.S. towards civil war and claimed that voting does not work. Ch. 2: Violent Authoritarianism: How Did This Become the GOP? - Keeping Democracy Alive with Burt Cohen - Air Date 11-23-21 Pat Buchanan was ahead of his time. He used the KKK’s David Duke to breed a new nativist religious nationalism, based on fear of liberalization. On this show, political science professor Joseph Lowndes sheds light on how the Republican Party got here Ch. 3: Analyzing The Dark Roots Of Modern Conservatism - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 10-15-23 Emma hosts John S. Huntington, professor of history at Houston Community College, to discuss his recent book Far-Right Vanguard: The Radical Roots of Modern Conservatism. Ch. 4: How Often Do YOU Think About the Roman Empire? - Wisecrack - Air Date 10-16-23 The real reason TikTok is crazy for ancient Rome If you’re even a little bit online, you know that the men love ancient Rome. This isn’t new: The civilization has loomed large in the Western imagination ever since its catastrophic collapse. Ch. 5: The Conservative Plan to Take Over the Country Part 1 - Leeja Miller - Air Date 9-26-23 Project 2025 is the terrifying plan set out by conservatives to take over the government. But it's radical, and it doesn't align with what most Americans want. Which is why we have to make sure this plan never happens. Ch. 6: The GOP’s "Red Caesar" New Political Order Plan Marches Forward - The Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 10-3-23 A Trump supporter just displayed exactly how stochastic terrorism works. Ch. 7: The Conservative Plan to Take Over the Country Part 2 - Leeja Miller - Air Date 9-26-23 Ch. 8: Think Tanks: How Fake Experts Shape the News - Tom Nicholas - Air Date 5-13-23 A video about how billionaire-funded right-wing “think tanks” such as the Heritage Foundation, Adam Smith Institute, Manhattan Institute, and Institute of Economic Affairs manipulate the news to spread their propaganda

Transcribed - Published: 25 June 2024

Air Date: 6-23-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - The Kidult trend in depth (since we had to cut it short last time) - A right-wing attempt at a puppet-based kids show to draw in young viewers early - How Nanalan' - a kids puppet show from the 90s - is helping some Millennials with reparenting REFERENCES: Adults Are Spending Big on Toys and Stuffed Animals—for Themselves Kidults - do you have one in your life? PLAYBACK The UK’s adults-only soft play, ball pits, Lego nights, museum sleepovers & holiday camps where grown-ups play like kids 'Gus Plus Us' Offers a Glimpse of Texas Filmmaking’s Conservative Future What is Bentkey? 'She Is the Icon of All That Is Joyful in the World Nanalan' on YouTube Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Transcribed - Published: 23 June 2024

Air Date 6/21/2024 The European elections could have been worse but they weren't great. Shifting politics among mainstream parties is legitimizing far-right policies at the same time as people's concerns over immigration is being reflected in a willingness to vote for far-right parties. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SEE FULL SHOW NOTES Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Clear Shift Toward the Far Right Anti-Immigrant Nationalists Gain Ground Across Europe - Democracy Now! - Air Date 6-11-24 KP 2: Europe Slides to the Right Unpacking the EU Parliamentary elections. - UNFTR - Air Date 6-15-24 KP 3: How the EU Parliament Voted This Year - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 6-12-24 KP 4: Does the economy matter to the far right? - Business Beyond - Air Date 5-31-24 KP 5: How Deep Does Right Wing Extremism Go In The Republican Party With Teddy Wilson - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 6-11-24 KP 6: What is behind the rise of the far-right in Europe - Al Jazeera English - Air Date 6-11-24 KP 7: Far Right Surges in European Elections - Pod Save The World - Air Date 6-12-24 KP 8: Europe Slides to the Right Unpacking the EU Parliamentary elections Part 2 - UNFTR - Air Date 6-15-24 (49:23) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the snowball effect of factors leading to a rightward shift in politics DEEPER DIVES (56:56) SECTION A: THE EU STRUCTURE AND ELECTION RESULTS (1:05:58) SECTION B: IMMIGRATION AND THE CULTURE WAR (1:24:12) SECTION C: THE PLAYBOOK AND MESSAGING OF THE FAR RIGHT SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo of European Parliament off-center, shifted right. Credit: “European Parliament Strasbourg Hemicycle” by Diliff, Wikimedia | License: CC BY-SA 3.0 | Cropped

Transcribed - Published: 21 June 2024

Original Air Date: 12/11/2021 Today we take a look at the many structures of American government that tilt to favor minority rule and conservatism which, in our case, is one and the same. Some structures like the Senate and the filibuster were intentionally designed to give extra weight to the minority while others like gerrymandering and the influence of large-dollar political donors were, well, I suppose they were designed for about the same reason but just in a different way. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Lawrence Lessig on Unrepresentative Democracy - Network for Responsible Public Policy - Air Date 10-1-21 Ch. 2: Why Wyoming Has More Power Than California in the Senate - AJ+ - Air Date 10-14-20 Ch. 3: Perpetual Minority Rule with David Faris - Battleground with Amanda Litman and Faiz Shakir - Air Date 6-10-21 Ch. 4: Biden's DOJ is SUING Texas For Their Brazenly Discriminatory Gerrymandering - The Humanist Report - Air Date 12-7-21 Ch. 5: Andrew Perez on the Filibuster - CounterSpin - Air Date 6-18-21 Ch. 6: A To-Do List for Senate Democrats - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 7-17-21 MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: Chauncey DeVega On Why Democracy Might Not Survive - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 12-7-21 FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 8: Final comments on public policy, human nature and Cold War talking points Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Transcribed - Published: 18 June 2024

Air Date: 6-16-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - The importance of unsupervised playtime for children and why it's disappearing - The roots and consequences of over-scheduling kids and why it's so hard to cut back - The rise of the "Kidult" REFERENCES: Parents: Keep Out! - Hidden Brain The Fine Art of Underscheduling Adults Are Spending Big on Toys and Stuffed Animals— For Themselves Let Grow Play Club Chasing Childhood documentary Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Transcribed - Published: 16 June 2024

Air Date 6/14/2024 We're in the middle of Supreme Court opinion season, which is not going well for non-extreme conservatives in the country, at the same time as scandal, corruption, and justices Thomas and Alito's refusal to recuse in the face of clear bias is reaching a modern peak. Call or text 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS 1: Opinionpalooza A Bad June Rising At SCOTUS Part 1 - Amicus 2: How The Mifepristone Case Reached SCOTUS - Amicus 3: Way Too Close Insane SCOTUS Case Could've Sunk The Country w Mark Joseph Stern - The Majority Report 4: Fact-Checking the Supreme Court - 99% Invisible 5: The IVF Decision We Should Have Seen Coming - Amicus 6: SCOTUS Flag Neighbor Exposes Alito’s BS Story- The Majority Report 7: Delegitimize The Court - Contempt of Court (1:03:35) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On some of Alito's finer absurdity Articles: Alito says the Supreme Court’s fake ethics code allows him to be unethical The Republican Party's man inside the Supreme Court The Supreme Court's new voting rights decision is a love letter to gerrymandering DEEPER DIVES (1:14:19) SECTION A: DO FACTS MATTER? (1:45:47) SECTION B: POLICING MEDICAL CARE (2:15:48) SECTION C: THE REPUBLICAN COURT WE’VE ALL WAITED FOR (2:42:24) SECTION D: SCOTUS IS A FLAWED SYSTEM Description: Photo of the U.S. Supreme Court building with an ominous red filter. An image of golden, uneven scales of justice sits on top. Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman. / Photo: “The Supreme Court” by Glenn Beltz, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Overlaid with red and imagery as part of composite. / Illustration: “Uneven scales of justice” via TheDigitalArtist, Pixabay.

Transcribed - Published: 14 June 2024

Air Date 6/11/2024 Democracies don't break all of a sudden in a moment of crisis, they fail slowly over time and only by knowing the warning signs and responding effectively to the threat before it's too late can the worst be averted. Call or text at 202-999-3991, email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS 1: Why and Where is Democracy in Decline? - TLDR News 2: Is Democracy Under Threat? - Tufts University 3: The decline of American democracy won't be televised - Vox 4: How Republicans are fueling Russia and China_s global effort to undermine democracy - Velshi 5: How Republican Attorneys General are Undermining Voting Rights - Democracy Docket 6: Democracy vs. Autocracy: An Unproductive Dichotomy - Marxist Project 7: When Democracy Breaks: Final Thoughts with Archon Fung, David Moss and Arne Westad - Democracy Paradox 8: Protecting Voting Rights with Eric Holder - Why Is This Happening? 9: Rich Logis Escaped the Trump - MAGA Cult -- Heed His Warnings About Its Power and Extreme Danger to America - Chauncey DeVega Show 10: "The President of Forgetting" - Dastardly Cleverness in the Service of Good (1:03:29) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Those who defend authoritarians against criticism during D-Day commemoration Conservatives Angry at Biden’s Anti-Nazi D-Day Speech Fighting Trump on the Beaches DEEPER DIVES (1:09:52) SECTION A: DISSECTION OF DEMOCRACY (1:31:56) SECTION B: INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRACY (2:09:54) SECTION C: THE CULT OF TRUMP (2:36:47) SECTION D: DEMOCRACY IN ACTION IMAGE: Description: Black and white photo of a person holding a homemade sign that says “Fighting for Democracy” Credit: “For Democracy” by Alisdare Hickson, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Change: Cropped

Transcribed - Published: 11 June 2024

Air Date: 06-09-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - how focusing on the "politics" of an event trivializes the impact that event has on real people - the detrimental effects combining the daily news grind and the prioritization of profits forces has on news coverage - how keeping news coverage light and ignoring the effects of neoliberalism leaves desperate people vulnerable to fascism - the way history is repeating itself when it comes to news media not treating a demagogue's rhetoric as the emergency it is - the difference between symbolic beliefs vs factual beliefs REFERENCES: Why Americans Hate the Media The Media Still Doesn’t Grasp the Danger of Trump Don’t Believe What They’re Telling You About Misinformation Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Transcribed - Published: 9 June 2024

Air Date 6/7/2024 Banning abortion is wildly unpopular and also one of the primary motivators for the group most strongly supporting the Republican Party and Donald Trump, the Christian Right, which has transformed both the party and politicians into extremists made in their own image, threatening the lives and health of millions and sacrificing democracy in the process. Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS 1: Abortion and Reproductive Rights - Lectures in History 2: Abortion and the erosion of privacy - The Weeds 3: Digital surveillance and reproductive rights - Technically Optimistic 4: Anti-abortion hardliners want restrictions to go farther. It could cost Republicans - Consider This 5: Abortion and Reproductive Rights Part 2 - Lectures in History 6: Rakeen Mabud on Greedflation, Rachel K. Jones on Mifepristone - CounterSpin 7: Abortion and the erosion of privacy Part 2 - The Weeds 8: Digital surveillance and reproductive rights Part 2 - Technically Optimistic (57:00) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the abuse produced by abortion restrictions DEEPER DIVES (1:02:40) SECTION A: CRIMINALIZING ABORTION (1:21:07) SECTION B: ABORTION EXTREMISM OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY (1:36:40) SECTION C: ABORTION IN THE LEGAL SYSTEM (1:53:45) SECTION D: WHAT IS THERE TO DO? SHOW IMAGE: Description: A person dressed in a red cape and white conical bonnet with a red sash over their nose and mouth (referencing the Handmaid's Tale) stands outside the U.S. Supreme Court at dusk holding a cardboard sign with the words "This is NOT fiction." Credit: Photo by Tyler Merbler, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped

Transcribed - Published: 7 June 2024

Air Date 6/4/2024 The problems that arise within the systems of sports are the same problems we all face everywhere which makes them a good lens through which to understand the mechanisms of broader society. Fair pay, both journalism and addictive games functioning under capitalism, and benefits for billionaires all resonate far beyond the bounds of the players, owners and fans of sports clubs. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Pay for Play Part 1 - University of Iowa KP 2: What the historic $2.8 billion settlement to pay NCAA players means for college sports - PBS NewsHour KP 3: Pay for Play Part 2 - University of Iowa KP 4: Sports Media has changed forever. - Brett Kollmann KP 5: Dan Le Batard Tells Stephen A. Smith He Hates What He and Skip Bayless Did to Sports Media - LeBatardShow KP 6: Report Finds That Sports Owners Use Their Teams To Avoid Millions In Taxes - MSNBC Reports KP 7: The Sports Stadium Scam - Robert Reich KP 8: The gambling problem in sports - The Current (1:01:43) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the value of sports to building community DEEPER DIVES (1:06:18) SECTION A: PAY FOR PLAY A1: Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger: What NCAA Suit Settlement Means for Paying Players - The Rich Eisen Show A2: "Amateurism Is Dead" - The Rich Eisen Show A3: Pay for Play Part 3 - University of Iowa (1:23:57) SECTION B: STADIUMS, OUR GREAT FOLLY (1:40:18) SECTION C: SPORTS JOURNALISM (1:59:15) SECTION D: SPORTS GAMBLING SEE FULL SHOW NOTES SHOW IMAGE: Description: A grocery store display of Coca-Cola soft drinks stacked in the shape of a basketball and “NCAA!”. Credit: “Coca Cola NCAA Cases Display” by Mike Mozart, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped

Transcribed - Published: 4 June 2024

Air Date: 6-2-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - How one MIT study used AI to reduce belief in conspiracy theories - How a new AI tool is attempting to make comments sections less awful - Some advice from Korea's litigious political environment on how to deal with Trump BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) REFERENCES: America’s Worst Time Zone Chatbots can persuade conspiracy theorists their view might be wrong The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet South Korea Has a Warning About Donald Trump’s Trial Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Transcribed - Published: 2 June 2024

Original Air Date: 9/19/2017 Today we look not so much at hurricanes and the climate science behind them (though we touch on that as well) but focus more on what we can see more clearly when it’s illuminated by so-called “natural” disasters, the structural inequality and legacies of decision-making that make these disasters worse than they need to be BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Show Notes Act 1: Mark Hertsgaard: It's not politics, it's science - Start Making Sense from @TheNation - Air Date 9-13-17 Act 2: What is environmental racism and environmental justice? - #PoliticallyReactive with @wkamaubell and @harikondabolu - Air Date 9-7-17 Act 3: Breaking News Consumer's Handbook: U.S. Storm Edition - On The Media - Air Date 9-1-17 Act 4: Disasters call attention to inequalities if we care to notice - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date 9-1-17 Act 5: Preventing future floods with data and regulation - @DecodeDC - Air Date: 09-14-2017 Act 6: The Human Causes of Natural Disasters - Popaganda from @BitchMedia - Air Date 12-8-16 Act 8: Dr. Michael E. Mann on attribution science and the tactics of inaction and delay - Bradcast from @TheBradBlog - Air Date 9-13-17 (Music from Blue Dot Sessions) EDUCATE YOURSELF: We will not be silenced. Stand up for a strong NEPA! (Earth Justice) Trump CEQ rolls out plans for swift NEPA reviews (Governors' Wind & Solar Energy Coalition) US people of color still more likely to be exposed to pollution than white people (The Guardian) Christine Todd Whitman: How Not to Run the E.P.A. (New York Times) Boston Communities Unite to Democratize Their Economy (Next City) Written by BOTL Communications Director, Amanda Hoffman

Transcribed - Published: 31 May 2024

Air Date 5/28/2024 Today we look at the most disappointing yet most idolized false heroes of our day, the titans of tech and the zany hijinks they've been getting up to recently. Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS 1: When a tech company like OpenAI doesn't get the dark message at the heart of science fiction 2: How Peter Thiel Got Rich | The Class Room ft. Second Thought 3: Google's Sundar Pichai on AI-powered search and the future of the web 4: Elon's Reputation is Hurting Tesla 5: Crypto’s crown prince in court 6: The Entire OpenAI Chaos Explained 7: Scarlett Johansson's Open AI voice fight shows the need for consent in tech 8: Fascism and the Failure of Imagination SEE FULL SHOW NOTES 1:03:38 NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the misplaced excitement in private corporations pushing big technological advancements 1:09:33 DEEPER DIVE A: THAT WORD YOU KEEP USING… 1:36:58 B: SiliCON VALLEY, emphasis on the CON 1:53:05 C: MICROSOFT THE DESTROYER 2:10:35 D: THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE SHOW IMAGE: Description: Composite image where the faces of Sam Altman, Peter Thiel, Sam Bankman-Fried, and Elon Musk are seen through an overlay of stock prices and a growth chart arrow. Credits: Composite by A. Hoffman. Photos: 1) "Open AI co-founder & CEO Sam Altman" by TechCrunch, Flickr | CC BY 2.0 ; 2) "Peter Thiel" by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | CC BY 2.0 ; 3) "Sam Bankman-Fried" by Cointelegraph, Wikimedia Commons | CC BY 3.0 ; 4) "Elon Musk Presenting Tesla's Fully Autonomous Future" by Steve Jurvetson, Wikimedia Commons | CC BY 2.0

Transcribed - Published: 28 May 2024

Air Date: 5-26-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - the con of supply and demand economics being about distributing goods with the greatest efficiency, and is instead nothing more than predatory greed - what we value as humans goes far beyond the price of commodities - even more examples of the enshitification of life via hostile experiences from things we've already paid for - how companies restrict functionality to create artificial price points as a way to extract even more from us REFERENCES: WELCOME TO PRICING HELL The Gap Between the Price You See and What You Pay Is Getting Worse Welcome to the Golden Age of User Hostility My Printer Is Extorting Me Bought a Model Y? Tesla may charge you to use the battery’s full range Corporate America Knows We’re Miserable. Is a Toilet Bomb the Answer? Billy Bragg - Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Transcribed - Published: 26 May 2024

Air Date 5/24/2024 Assessing the impacts of new diet drugs on physical and mental health in the context of our unhealthy food system and societal fat phobia Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: The world after Ozempic - The Gray Area - Air Date 5-13-24 KP 2: The Ozempic economy - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-23-24 KP 3: Have the new weight-loss drugs changed what it means to be body positive - Consider This - Air Date 5-13-24 KP 5: Body Neutrality - What The Actual Fork Podcast - Air Date 8-11-23 KP 6: Examining America's Unhealthy Obsession With Fitness w. Natalia Mehlman Petrzela - The Majority Report - Air Date 6-24-23 KP 7: What Ozempic can't fix - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-26-34 SEE FULL SHOW NOTES (56:10) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the metaphor of the new show format (1:01:22) DEEPER DIVE A: BUSINESS OF DESIRE A1: Examining America's Unhealthy Obsession... Part 2 A2: The Ozempic economy Part 2 A3: The world after... Part 4 (1:20:48) DEEPER DIVE B: BIAS AND RISK B1: What Ozempic can't fix Part 2 B2: The world after... Part 5 B3: What Ozempic can't fix Part 3 (1:31:00) DEEPER DIVE C: BODY NEUTRALITY MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Overhead photo of a bunch of Ozempic pens in a plastic pharmacy basket. Credit: "Bundle of Ozempic Pens" by Chemist4U, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped

Transcribed - Published: 24 May 2024

Air Date 5/21/2024 Whether by the US government playing matchmaker for the domestic weapons industry or through the illegal trade of the 'iron river,' the US is the leading seller of weapons around the world, fueling violence and conflict, oppression and rights abuses. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! FRONTPAGE FP 1: US Leads Global Arms Sales - American Prestige - Air Date 3-15-24 FP 2: How Washington Plays Matchmaker For The US Gun Industry Part 1 - Big Take - Air Date 10-30-23 FP 3: Can a lawsuit stop Mexico’s ‘iron river’ of guns? - The Take - Air Date 8-13-21 FP 4: How America’s Guns Fuel Violence across the Border: With Guest Ieva Jusionyte - Facepalm America - Air Date 2-27-24 SEE FULL SHOW NOTES (1:02:19) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the problems with looking for good or bad intentions (1:08:24) SECTION A: A1: Inside Biden's Secret Arms Deal - Deconstructed - Air Date 9-22-23 A2: Josh Paul Reveals The Truth Behind US Arms Supply to Israel - Laura Flanders and Friends - Air Date 11-7-23 (1:30:10) SECTION B: B1: Can Mexico win... Part 2 - The Inquiry - Air Date 3-7-24 B2: Ieva Jusionyte, "Exit Wounds: How America's Guns Fuel Violence Across the Border" (U California Press, 2024) - New Books Network - Air Date 4-15-24 (1:42:43) SECTION C: C1: Why America's police look like soldiers - Vox - Air Date 6-25-20 C2: Why US gun laws get looser after mass shootings - Vox - Air Date 7-28-22 MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A square version of the American flag with silhouettes of guns and bombs in place of white stars. Three bombs are falling from the pattern across the red and white stripes. Credit: Pixabay image modified by A.Hoffman Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Transcribed - Published: 21 May 2024

Original Air Date: 5/9/2015 Today we take a look at the continuing failure that is the War on Drugs™ as well as some of the signs of hope that we may be making progress toward shutting it down Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Is Marijuana Harmful to Health? - Healthcare Triage (@HCTriage) - Air Date: 04-19-14 Ch. 2: Man Gets 13 Years in Prison for 2 Joints Worth of Pot - @davidpakmanshow - Air Date: 03-13-15 Ch. 3: Legalized Marijuana = Millions For Public Schools In Colorado - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 03-16-15 Ch. 4: Johann Hari on Everything We Know About the Drug War & Addiction is Wrong - @democracynow - Air Date: 2-6-15 Ch. 5: Legalizing marijuana doesn't lead to doomsday scenarios - Le Show (@theharryshearer) - Air Date: 10-26-14 Ch. 6: Rand Paul & Others Introduce National Medical Marijuana Bill - @davidpakmanshow - Air Date: 03-11-15 Ch. 7: Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders Talk Drugs - Majority Report (@majorityfm) - Air Date: 06-01-15 Ch. 8: Marijuana Shows Medical Value, Feds Don't Give A Sh*t - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 04-12-15 MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected]

Transcribed - Published: 19 May 2024

BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the Full Show, Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Air Date: 5-16-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - How mega drive-throughs are ruining American towns and cities - Why giant car washes are popping up across the country and what we could have instead - How Tokyo's beautiful public toilets are an inspiration - The impact boring and ugly buildings are having on our mental health REFERENCES: RFK Jr. revealed he had a parasitic brain worm. Here’s what to know. Social Media is Not What Killed the Web Mega drive-throughs explain everything wrong with American cities Car Washes are proliferating across the U.S. Here’s why Why are they building so many car washes? And storage facilities? Tokyo’s Public Toilets Will Leave New Yorkers Sobbing The Global Danger of Boring Buildings Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Transcribed - Published: 17 May 2024

Air Date 5/15/2024 In an age of cultish in-group/out-group politics and media, we seek to find messaging for progressive partisans to achieve electoral success Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! FRONTPAGE FP 1: Everything's a cult now - The Gray Area FP 2: Examining how U.S. politics became intertwined with personal identity - PBS NewsHour FP 3: Jason Stanley on the Politics of Language - Amanpour and Company FP 4: A Conversation About How Dems Can Win in November with Rachel Bitecofer - Deep State Radio FP 5: Employ Negative Partisanship w. Rachel Bitecofer - Future Hindsight FP 6: Everything's ... Part 2 FP 7: Hit 'Em Where It Hurts ... Part 2 FP 8: Employ Negative ... Part 2 (59:24) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the importance of finding common-but-adaptable messaging (1:02:14) SECTION A: IDENTITY A1: Everything's ... Part 3 A2: Examining how U.S. ... Part 2 (1:10:14) SECTION B: POLITICAL RHETORIC B1: 'Hit 'Em Where It Hurts' urges Dems to go on attack - Morning Joe B2: 'Our message resonated with voters' - Morning Joe B3: Watch VP Harris slams Trump over abortion access - MSNBC (1:26:17) SECTION C: MESSAGING C1: Employ Negative ...Part 4 C2: Republican Policies VERY Unpopular With Voters - The Majority Report C3: Everything's ... Part 4 C4: Employ Negative ... Part 3 (1:50:33) SECTION D: INDEPENDENTS D1: Hit 'Em ... Part 3 D2: Why Voters Are Down On The Economy - 538 Politics

Transcribed - Published: 15 May 2024

Air Date 5/11/2024 The effort to turn theory into practice that will open up new ways of thinking about antitrust lawsuits attempting to rein in big tech and other mega-corporations, which are operating in a new phase of capitalism. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: FTC Chair Lina Khan on Antitrust in the age of Amazon - Planet Money - Air Date 11-3-23 On today's show, a conversation with FTC Chair Lina Khan on what it's like to try to turn audacious theory into bureaucratic practice, the FTC's new lawsuit against Amazon, and what it all means for business as usual. Ch. 2: Apple's Antitrust Problem - Professor Talha Syed - The BTLJ Podcast - Air Date 3-10-24 Professor Syed reveals his thoughts and assessment of the new Brandeis movement, headed by Lina Khan and Jonathan Kanter of the FTC and DOJ. Ch. 3: FTC Chair Lina Khan on Antitrust in the age of Amazon Part 2 - Planet Money - Air Date 11-3-23 Ch. 4: How to Fight Monopoly Power with FTC Chair Lina Khan - Factually! - Air Date 11-8-23 Lina Khan, appointed chair of the Federal Trade Commission by President Biden, has become the foremost voice of this movement and has engaged in high-profile battles to reshape how America deals with monopolies. SEE FULL SHOW NOTES MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Real Estate Fees Crushed By Anti-Trust w David Dayen - The Majority Report - Air Date 3-26-24 FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the new show format tried out in the campus protesters episode as well as a retraction MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A court document with “Antitrust” at the top sits on a desk with a gavel and block on top. Credit: “Antitrust” by Nick Youngson via Pix4free | License: CC BY-SA 3.0 | Changes: Added solid background Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Transcribed - Published: 12 May 2024

Air Date 5/7/2024 Civil resistance on campuses across the country against Israeli genocide in Gaza calling for cease fire and divestment, university administrations up to the Biden administration respond, often with overwhelming violence and claims of antisemitism. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! FRONTPAGE FP 1: The US college protests... - Today in Focus - Air Date 4-25-24 FP 2: Behind Columbia... - Al Jazeera English - Air Date 4-24-24 (47:13) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR (50:54) SECTION A: POLICE RESPONSES A1: Atlanta Police Violently Arrest Emory... - Democracy Now! - Air Date 4-26-24 A2: Juan González, Veteran of '68 Columbia Strike... - Democracy Now! - Air Date 5-1-24 (1:06:59) SECTION B: INSIDE THE PROTESTS B1: Pro-Israel THUGS Attack... - Owen Jones - Air Date 5-1-24 B2: Live from the Encampments - CODEPINK Radio - Air Date 5-1-24 (1:34:52) SECTION C: BIDEN'S POLITICS AND ACCUSATIONS OF ANTISEMITISM C1: Nicholas Kristof ... Part 2 - Brian Lehrer - Air Date 4-26-24 C2: Manufactured Panic Over Peaceful... - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-23-24 (1:57:05) SECTION D: UNIVERSITY ADMINS AND ENDOWMENTS D1: Why Colleges Have No Idea... - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 4-23-24 D2: Columbia University President ... - The Bitchuation Room - Air Date 4-27-24 (2:37:42) SECTION E: MEDIA CRITICISM SEE FULL SHOW NOTES IMAGE Description: A photo of a lawn in front of a university building at Vassar College showing students standing near tents, a sign that reads "Liberation," and a Palestinian flag along a walkway. Credit: "Liberation Lawn at Vassar College (cropped)" by Found5dollar, Wikimedia | License: CC BY-SA 4.0 | Changes: Cropped

Transcribed - Published: 7 May 2024

Air Date: 5-5-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - Jerry Seinfeld blaming the "extreme left" and "PC culture" for the death of sitcoms - how Poe's Law (and the Amanda Principle) makes creating and identifying satire difficult - how TV shows trying to satirize the left for the left struggle to land the jokes REFERENCES: Jerry Seinfeld Says TV Comedy Is Being Killed By the ‘Extreme Left and P.C. Crap and People Worrying So Much About Offending Other People’ Jerry Seinfeld Is a Lazy Hack Out of Touch with the Real World—And Who Can Blame Him? Poe’s Law and Internet Satire In the Know (Peacock) ‘In the Know’ Showrunners Unpack Its Loving Evisceration of Public Radio, Progressive Politics Zach Woods, NPR Fan, Reads NPR Fans for Filth Exclusive: In the Know's Zach Woods and Brandon Gardner on Satirizing Liberals with Mike Judge The Cleaner - S2 E5 The Statue (Acorn) Malthusian Conception Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Transcribed - Published: 5 May 2024

Air Date 5/3/2024 A look back at previous coverage of criminalizing protests, weaponizing civility, and violent responses to peaceful dissent. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Problem with Civility - On the Media - Air Date 6-30-18 Ch. 2: Criminalizing Protest - @USNewsBeat - Air Date 6-14-18 Ch. 3: Civility as a cudgel - Trumpcast - Air Date 6-30-18 Ch. 4: Protests Sweep Across America and Beyond Part 2 - The Daily Show - Air Date 6-9-20 Ch. 5: The coming anti-protest laws w/ Alleen Brown and Akela Lacy Part 1 - This is Hell! - Air Date 2-12-21 Ch. 6: Anti-Protest Bills Popping Up Everywhere - David Pakman Show - Air Date 8-19-20 Ch. 7: Elly Page on Anti-Protest Bills - CounterSpin - Air Date 4-23-21 Ch. 8: Not Ready For That Conversation - On The Media - Air Date 4-23-21 Ch. 9: GOP States Are Pushing for Stricter Penalties for Protesters - The Takeaway - Air Date 4-27-21 Ch. 10: How Corporate Media Protects Violent Cops - Carlos Maza - Air Date 6-4-20 MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected]

Transcribed - Published: 3 May 2024

Air Date 5/1/2024 The past, present, and future of tackling the uselessness of extreme wealth by exposing and closing tax avoidance loopholes and pushing for a culture change to embrace the need for a more equal society. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: What Happens When You Tax Billionaires at 90 Percent? - The Hartmann Report - Air Date 6-3-23 We did it before, and the result was the creation of the world’s first and largest middle class and a level of peace and prosperity that held its own until Ronald Reagan took a meat-axe to it… Ch. 2: #TaxBillionaires w/ Robert Reich, Sen. Ron Wyden, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, and more - Americans for Tax Fairness - Air Date 4 -18-22 If you think school teachers shouldn't pay a higher tax rate than billionaires, join us to learn how you can join in on the fight to #TaxBillionaires! Ch. 3: Wealth Tax Part 1 - Pullback - Air Date 4-11-23 Should we be taxing Scrooge-McDuck wealth? Can we? We talk with friend of the pod Fariya Mohiuddin, a Senior Program Officer with the International Budget Partnership's Tax Equity Program, and our favourite tax justice researcher and activist. Ch. 4: No One Should Have More Than 10 Million Pounds | Ash Sarkar meets Ingrid Robeyns - Novara Media - Air Date 2-4-24 If you're serious about alleviating poverty, as most liberals claim to be, should there be a cap on how wealthy one person can be? SEE FULL SHOW NOTES FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on anger and irrationality in war and politics MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A protester holds a sign that says “Tax the Rich” Credit: “We have a right to the city. Tax the rich.” by dignidadrebelde, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at [email protected]

Transcribed - Published: 1 May 2024

Get full, weekly bonus shows! Air Date: 4-29-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - how the film 'Civil War' intentionally avoids any specifics about the "why", and in doing so becomes a perfect encapsulation of the Amanda Principle™ - how "the view from nowhere" journalism is supposed to be straight down the middle and fact-based, but is actually rife with bias and ends up representing the dominant culture - that America and its culture has been steeped in war and violence since it's inception - the similarities between modern America and Germany in 1933 REFERENCES: Americans Have Enjoyed Imagining Civil War for a Long, Long Time How to Both-Sides a “Civil War” Alex Garland's Civil War Plays Both Sides Opinion: Is the US on the brink of another civil war? ‘Civil War’ and the Dangerous Myth of ‘Unbiased’ Journalism America Isn’t Nazi Germany, but It Looks a Little Like 1933 Modern Mathematics Confronts Its White, Patriarchal Past Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Transcribed - Published: 29 April 2024

Original Air Date 9/14/2022 Today, we take a look at the history and hysteria behind debt and debt forgiveness while Biden is canceling student debt and opponents of the idea are reacting in the most predictable way possible because they misunderstand the relationship between debt and morality. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Cancel It All: Debt Collective's Astra Taylor on Biden Plan & Need for Full Student Debt Relief - Democracy Now! - Air Date 8-25-22 We speak to Astra Taylor, writer, filmmaker, and co-director of the Debt Collective, a union for debtors and one of the original advocates for a debt jubilee that would cancel all student debt. Ch. 2: Freedom Dreams: Black Women and the Student Debt Crisis - The Intercept - Air Date 8-22-22 The Intercept’s new documentary, “Freedom Dreams: Black Women and the Student Debt Crisis,” profiles Black women educators and activists struggling under the weight of tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, in student loan debt. Ch. 3: Hidden History of Student Debt - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 8-25-22 Many woke up to find news that $10k of their student debt would be forgiven, Thom Hartmann and Jefferson Smith break down what this means and what happens next. Ch. 4: Bidens Big Student Debt Announcement: PITOTWIU for the Indebted Masses - Unf*cking The Republic - Air Date 8-28-22 Max breaks down the politics, the details, and biggest misses of the Biden student debt relief plan and why it’s in danger of being PITOTWIU SEE FULL SHOW NOTES FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on morality and money MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A dark gray, 3D image of the word "DEBT" sits in a white void, a connected chain and open shackle with an open padlock lie in front of it. Credit: "3D Shackled Debt" by Chris Potter, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Enlarged with more white background Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at [email protected]

Transcribed - Published: 26 April 2024

Air Date 4/24/2024 Only by understanding the past can we understand the present and the histories of Cuba and Haiti have very stark lessons to impart about the cruelty of the Cuba embargo, the repercussions of imperial exploitation, and the dangers that arise amid dysfunctional democracy. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: On Cuba and Haiti The Fight for Liberation & Self-Determination in the Caribbean - Revolutionary Left Radio - Air Date 4-4-24 Musa Springer, Erica Caines, & Onyesonwu Chatoyer from Hood Communist discuss their participation in The Second International Meeting of Theoretical Publications of Left Parties and Movements and discuss history and present events playing out in Haiti. Ch. 2: Havana Syndrome How the Biden Administration Is Driving Cubans Into Misery - Deconstructed - Air Date 3-22-24 Ryan Grim delves into the complexities of Cuba’s current economic crisis with Andrés Pertierra, a historian of Latin America and the Caribbean. Ch. 3: Havana Syndrome How the Biden Administration Is Driving Cubans Into Misery Part 2 - Deconstructed - Air Date 3-22-24 Ch. 4: Empire's Laboratory— How 2004 U.S.-Backed Coup Destabilized Haiti & Led to Current Crisis - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-11-24 "The root of this crisis is not last week, it's not this week, it's not even Ariel Henry. But we have to go back to 2004 with the coup-d'état," says Pierre. SEE FULL SHOW NOTES FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the dangers of unrepresentative, unresponsive government MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo of a protester in 2007 holding a large cloth sign that says “Solidarity…Haiti YES! Occupation NO. Canada-US-U.N. OUT of Haiti” Credit: “Solidarity - Haiti Yes - Occupation No” by Robert Thivierge, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Transcribed - Published: 24 April 2024

BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Air Date: 4-22-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - How Israeli citizens and government officials use of the US's settler-colonialist past, westward expansion, and religious fundamentalism to justify their own settler expansion - How the members of the extreme right are put in positions of power within the Israeli government, which is then used to validate the settler's actions - The role racist propaganda and intergenerational trauma play in convincing Israelis of the righteousness of their settler-colonialist actions - The societal dangers of living in an ethnostate combined with feeling of specialness that comes from generations of victimhood REFERENCES: The Israeli Settlers Attacking Their Palestinian Neighbors The grandmother who wants to lead Israelis back to a Gaza without Palestinians A debate over Israel-Palestine curriculum flares at Berkeley schools Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Transcribed - Published: 23 April 2024

Air Date 4/20/2024 Old habits die hard and the American establishment's unquestioning support for Israel is a very old habit indeed. Israel's government drifts farther and farther to the right, culminating in a genocidal push into Gaza. Meanwhile, President Biden, standard-bearer of the old establishment, seems destined to be the very last Democrat to see the need for a change. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Jon Stewart Interrogates America's Support of Israel - The Daily Show - Air Date 4-8-24 Jon Stewart checks in on the war in Gaza and interrogates how America's purported values stack up against its support of Israel. Plus, Ronny Chieng and Grace Kuhlenschmidt report from the eclipse's path of totality with startling different reports. Ch. 2: Biden’s 'double talk' on Gaza: Cynical election politics? | The Bottom Line - Al Jazeera English - Air Date 3-31-24 Roth tells host Steve Clemons that US President Joe Biden is engaging in “cynical” election politics by refusing to enforce the UN resolution calling for a ceasefire, or the World Court ruling ordering Israel to allow more food into Gaza Ch. 3: Jon Stewart & Bassem Youssef Call Out “Performative” Outrage Over Israel’s War Crimes - The Humanist Report - Air Date 4-12-24 In this video, we’ll look at comments from both Youssef and Stewart, examples of “performative” outrage from politicians, and demands from voters that the Democratic Party and Joe Biden are refusing to meet. SEE FULL SHOW NOTES FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the words we've heard and the actions we've seen from Israel's government MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo of a protest outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC in honor of Airman Aaron Bushnell’s self-sacrifice. Protestors kneel behind a banner that says “Stop U.S. Support of Genocide.” Credit: “50.Gather.AaronBushnellVigil.WDC.26February2024” by Elvert Barnes, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Transcribed - Published: 20 April 2024

Air Date: 4-18-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - how a tech start-up is trying to sell a shortcut to bliss - the world of drug-free psychedelic experiences - the capitalists trying to solve the loneliness epidemic REFERENCES: The Meditation Start-Up That’s Selling Bliss on Demand What’s it like to take a $249 drug-free psychedelic trip? We found out Origin of the Dreamachine Can You Solve Loneliness? These Startups Are Betting On It. Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Transcribed - Published: 18 April 2024

Original Air Date 2/12/2019 Today we take a look at both the BDS movement and the backlash response to it resulting in firings and legislation in many states (and pending federally) to restrict employment and business opportunities from those who fail to pledge in writing to not support of the boycott of Israel Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Explaining BDS - The Katie Halper Show - Air Date 10-11-17 We speak to art critic and writer Kareem Estefan, co-editor of “Assuming Boycott: Resistance, Agency, and Cultural Production,” about Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS) Ch. 2: Exclusive: Angela Davis Speaks Out on Palestine, BDS & More After Civil Rights Award Is Revoked - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-11-19 Legendary activist and scholar Angela Davis speaks out after the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute rescinded a human rights award for her, reportedly due to her activism for Palestinian rights. Ch. 3: Pro-Israel Lobby Groups Secretly Admits Cultural Boycott Is Effective, Leaked Report Shows - @TheRealNews - Air Date 12-10-18 Ali Abunimah discusses a leaked report from Creative Community for Peace (CCFP), a front for Israel government-backed lobby group StandWithUs, which admits the cultural boycott is "constantly growing" and "innovative." Ch. 4: Josh Ruebner on BDS Bans - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date 1-31-19 We’ll hear about so-called “anti-BDS” laws, and their context, from Josh Ruebner, policy director at the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights. Ch. 5: Senators Sneak Amendment to Make Israel Boycott Illegal - @TheRealNews - Air Date 12-19-18 While Senators Cardin and Portman are trying to sneak a last-minute amendment into the budget bill to make BDS illegal - violating free speech - 26 states are also moving to make boycotts of Israel illegal. We speak to IPS’s Phyllis Bennis. Ch. 6: Palestine/Israel, the Firing of Marc Lamont Hill & the Limits of Open Inquiry Part 1 - Speak out with Tim Wise - Air Date 12-3-18 Tim discusses CNN’s firing of contributor Marc Lamont Hill (a former guest on the show), for comments he made in favor of full equality and justice for the Palestinian people. SEE FULL SHOW NOTES MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com ​ ​ ​

Transcribed - Published: 16 April 2024

Air Date 4/12/2024 The forces of capitalism and deregulation loom large as industrial transport disasters continue to pile up with new focus brought to the issue by the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse and the series of dangerous and deadly failures from Boeing. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Horror in Baltimore: Awful New Info Emerges About Six Missing Workers - THE DAILY BLAST with Greg Sargent - Air Date 3-28-24 Two full days after the disastrous collapse of a bridge in Baltimore, little is known about six construction workers who went missing—and are now presumed dead. Ch. 2: Everything we know about the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse - The Real News Podcast - Air Date 4-4-24 The Real News convened a panel of journalists working all sides of this story to get a sense of what we know about the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, what key questions still need to be answered, and what happens next. Ch. 3: Cars, Bridges, Ships and Planes - The Zero Hour - Air Date 04-06-24 Discussing the Baltimore disaster in the context of infrastructure investment more broadly Ch. 4: Everything we know about the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse Part 2 - The Real News Podcast - Air Date 4-4-24 SEE FULL SHOW NOTES FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the threat to society of runaway corporate executive pay References: The failure of Bill Clinton's CEO pay reform - Politico The Executive Pay Cap That Backfired - ProPublica MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo taken from inside the Alaska Airlines flight 1282 Boeing plane that lost its door mid-flight. A rectangular hole in the side of the plane reveals a wall of white clouds. The nearby seats are empty and oxygen masks hang from the ceiling. Credit: Photo taken by unidentified passenger and provided to the public by the National Transportation Safety Board(NTSB) as part of their investigation. | License: Public Domain Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at [email protected]

Transcribed - Published: 12 April 2024

Air Date 4/9/2024 The neoliberal legacy of the New Democrats continues to loom large but it really does seem like the progressive wing of the party and the broader demand for populist economic policies has had an impact. Now people just need to know that it's happening. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: American Socialism - Prospect: Generations - Air Date 4-6-23 In this episode of the Prospect’s Generations podcast, editor at large Harold Meyerson, who joined the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee in 1975, and writing fellow Luke Goldstein, who was attracted to socialism by Bernie Sanders Ch. 2: The Legacy of the New Democrats - KPFA - Against the Grain - Air Date 8-17-22 Historian Lily Geismer looks at how the the Democratic Leadership Council and Clinton-era Democratic Party increased inequality, through development zones, charter schools, welfare “reform”, and microfinance. Ch. 3: Clinton’s ‘Fabulous Failure’ Part 1 - Start Making Sense - Air Date 10-4-23 Our politics today is haunted by the failures of Bill Clinton—the “centrist” who “triangulated” with Republicans, lost on healthcare, and proclaimed that “the era of big government is over.” Nelson Lichtenstein explains Clinton’s turn to the right SEE FULL SHOW NOTES MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: Price Controls: An Inflation Solution That Doesn't Screw Workers - Deconstructed - Air Date 7-7-23 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? Ch. 8: Clinton’s ‘Fabulous Failure’ Part 2 - Start Making Sense - Air Date 10-4-23 FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the way we think about political criticism MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo of President Joe Biden shaking hands with a hard-hat-and-safety-vest clad union worker during a campaign event in Pennsylvania. Credit: “President Biden greeting union workers” by Governor Tom Wolf Flickr account | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Transcribed - Published: 9 April 2024

Air Date: 4-7-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - Many facets of our society are clearly broken by capitalism, and bizarrely for some, chaos is the only thing that beings agency to their life - The delusion of RFK Jr. voters, the understandable desire to vote third party, and the age-old cry of the 'uniparty' - The trend of conservative voters among communities of color and where they find themselves in Trump's Republican Party - And that one of the Democrats main stumbling blocks is they're only interested in keeping things exactly as they are REFERENCES: The Americans Who Need Chaos Andrew Tate on why he doesn’t read books Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Targets a Generation of Politically Disaffected, Extremely Online Men Forget Kennedy Democrats. Here Comes the 2024 Kennedy Voter. The Strange History of the ‘Uniparty’ The unexpected dynamic that could decide the Trump-Biden rematch Duty Calls Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Transcribed - Published: 7 April 2024

Original Air Date: 11/10/2020 Today we take a look at the long and shifting history of the myth of democracy in America. We've never had it since the beginning but the reasons have shifted, ebbed and flowed over time. Now, in the midst of an attempted slow-motion coup, we look back at this most central American myth. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: "Let the People Pick the President" The Case for Abolishing the Electoral College - Democracy Now! - Air Date 10-30-20 Two of the last three presidents — George W. Bush and Donald Trump — came to office after losing the popular vote. "The Framers who met at the Constitutional Convention really had no idea what they were doing when they established how to pick a president" Ch. 2: The Second Revolution - Scene On Radio - Air Date 2-19-20 After the Civil War, a surprising coalition tried to remake the United States into a real multiracial democracy for the first time. Reconstruction, as the effort was called, brought dramatic change to America. For a while. Ch. 3: Democracy: Past, Present... and Future? - The Laura Flanders Show - Air Date 6-26-19 Don't remember the past? Does that mean you're condemned to repeat it? What does our country's past tell us about our present— and how can it help us imagine a better future? This week, two leading thinkers on the tricky challenges of democracy. Ch. 4: More Democracy - Scene on Radio - Air Date 6-10-20 What will it take to make the United States a more fully functioning democracy, and how can we, as citizens, bring about that change? By host and producer John Biewen, with series collaborator Chenjerai Kumanyika. SEE FULL SHOW NOTES TAKE ACTION GASenate.com NewGeorgiaProject.org BlackVotersMatterFund.org VoteRiders.org ACLUGA.org Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com​ ​ ​

Transcribed - Published: 5 April 2024

Air Date 4/3/2024 As the country gears up for the election in November, we look at a variety of ways the GOP and their election-denialist supporters are preparing to subvert the democratic process to get the result they want. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Election Dissection 'How can the election system be improved' - The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast - Air Date 3-27-24 A question remains among most American, and specifically Arizonan, voters: how can we make elections better? David Becker is a co-founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research to improve elections through technology and reliance on data. Ch. 2: Giuliani ordered to pay $148 million for defamation of election workers - PBS Newshour - Air Date 12-15-23 A federal jury in Washington ordered Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump’s former campaign attorney, to pay $148 million to two Georgia election workers for distress caused by lies he spread following the 2020 election. Ch. 3: Charlie Kirk Lackey Gets Humiliated By Election Official - The Majority Report - Air Date 3-3-24 Ch. 4: Far Right Plan Chaos Ahead of 2024 Election - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 3-22-24 Donald Trump and the far right want the 2024 election to be so chaotic they can make the case that Trump won, even if he goes down in flames losing by spectacular numbers. SEE FULL SHOW NOTES MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Election Dissection 'How can the election system be improved' Part 3 - The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast - Air Date 3-27-24 Ch. 10: Exposing Secret Fascist Plan To ‘Win’ 2024 Election - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 2-26-24 FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the backfire effect of lies about mail-in voting MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A photo of a protestor, wearing a mask, and holding a sign up that says “When we count, democracy wins.” Credit: “40a.BLM.Plaza.WDC.7November2020” by Elvert Barnes, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Transcribed - Published: 3 April 2024

Air Date: 4-1-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - how Trump uses humor to normalize his behavior and engage his supporters - how humor is not always a great weapon against fascism and autocracy REFERENCES: Can Parents Prevent Their Sons From Sliding to the Right? In on the Joke: The Comedic Trick Trump Uses to Normalize His Behavior Laugh Riot Laughing All the Way to Autocracy Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Transcribed - Published: 1 April 2024