

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
BestOfTheLeft.com
Expertly-curated progressive politics, news, and culture produced by leftist humans, not algorithms or AI. This is an award-winning podcast that dives deeply into a wide range of national and international issues facing society and governments. We draw from hundreds of sources of progressive news and commentary. Est. 2006.
Save time by listening to a range of perspectives on a focused topic in each episode and be introduced to new sources you will not have come across on your own!
Save time by listening to a range of perspectives on a focused topic in each episode and be introduced to new sources you will not have come across on your own!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 7, 2025 • 3h 15min
#1742 Captured Court, Captured Nation: SCOTUS Serves Trump's Authoritarianism
Air Date 10/7/2025 The Trump administration has been doing what we knew it would: breaking laws and losing about 95% of their court battles. And the conservatively stacked Supreme Court has been doing what we knew it would: overwhelmingly ruling for Trump to cover his tracks because that's what they were put there to do. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Hiding in the Shadow Docket - The Hartmann Report - Air Date 8-24-25 KP 2: Does It Matter? Trump Keeps Losing on Immigration in the Courts - Democracy Now! - Air Date 9-3-25 KP 3: US Supreme Court Allows Trumps Controversial Immigration Raids to Continue in LA - Al Jazeera English - Air Date 9-9-25 KP 4: The Supreme Court’s Power Grab Under Trump - Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast - Air Date 7-15-25 KP 5: Is the Supreme Court Corrupted? with Alex Aronson | Freethought Matters - Freedom From Religion Foundation - Air Date 1-9-25 KP 6: 'Unconscionably Irreconcilable': Justice Sotomayor RIPS Colleagues in Fiery Dissent - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 9-9-25 (00:51:05) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On authoritarianism in practice DEEPER DIVES (01:00:16) SECTION A: PAVING THE PATH A1: How To Build A Police State (With The Supreme Court’s Blessing) - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, Justice, and the Courts - Air Date 7-19-25 A2: Dear Justice Kavanaugh, “I’m American, Bro” - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, Justice, and the Courts - Air Date 9-13-25 A3: Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett Defends Court's Work on Emergency Rulings - NPR Morning Edition - Air Date 9-9-25 A4: Lawfare Daily: The Trials of the Trump Administration - The Lawfare Podcast - Air Date 9-5-25 A5: How the Supreme Court Allowed Trump to Reshape America in One Year | Explainer - Heather Cox Richardson - Air Date 7-2-25 (01:41:19) SECTION B: LEGAL GRAY AREA B1: Trump Brings the War Home - 5-4 - Air Date 8-8-25 B2: Bedrock Con Law 101 - Divided Argument - Air Date 8-29-25 B3: Uh-oh: Trump in Trouble as Polls Drop and Protests ERUPT Nationwide - The Beat with Ari - Air Date 9-8-25 B4: Justice Thomas Cautions Against Following Precedent - Bloomberg Law - Air Date 9-30-25 B5: The Legality of Trumps D.C. Takeover as Statistics Show Decline in Crime - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 8-11-25 (02:19:05) SECTION C: CORRUPTION C1: How Trump Is Using the DOJ as His Personal Law Firm - Here & Now Anytime - Air Date 8-25-25 C2: Captured Court: Hayes on Leonard Leos Two-fold Plan to Form This Supreme Court - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 5-11-23 (02:31:03) SECTION D: HOPE? D1: Trump's Tariffs Struck Down: Attorney Neal Katyal Oregon AG Dan Rayfield Respond - Democracy Now! - Air Date 9-2-25 D2: When Trump Hits New Jersey, This Lawyer Hits Back - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, Justice, and the Courts- Air Date 8-16-25 D3: The Lower Courts Punch Up - Strict Scrutiny - Air Date 9-8-25 D4: Losing! MAGA "Embarrassed" as Courts Reject Trump Powers on Immigration, Tariffs, Troops - The Beat with Ari - Air Date 9-8-25 D5: Trump Hijacked the Courts: Here’s How to Fix It- Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 8-28-25 SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Composite image depicting a photo of the exterior of the U.S. Supreme Court with giant chains crossed over the building with an orange seal with the silhouette of Donald Trump where the chains cross. Photo Credit: “US Supreme Court” by David (dbking), Flickr | CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, and added chain vector image Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Sep 30, 2025 • 3h 52min
#1740 Monthly-ish Mix: The Enemy Within and the Enemy Without—America's Two-Front
Air Date: 09/30/25 The Monthly-ish Mix™ is here to get you caught up on recent news without being overwhelming! This month we track the dangerous convergence of domestic collapse and international chaos by looking at political violence and martyrdom accelerating division, institutional capture from the courts to the media, the dismantling of voting rights and public health infrastructure, military deployments at home and wars abroad, plus the resistance movements fighting back through town halls, labor organizing, and revolutionary art despite overwhelming odds. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! PART 1: THE HOME FRONT CRUMBLES (00:01:50) #1739 The Charlie Kirk Assassination and the Plans to Weaponize It 1: Chris Hedges: The Martyrdom of Charlie Kirk - The Chris Hedges Report - Air Date 9-12-25 2: The "Both Sides" Scam: How False Balance Fuels Extremism - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 9-12-25 3: No, Charlie Kirk Was Not Practicing Politics the Right Way - Mother Jones - Air Date 9-12-25 (00:22:18) #1736 Not the Opposition Party the Country Needs Right Now 4: Why Democrats Should Cut Off Weapons Sales to Israel and Reject AIPAC Money - Pod Save America - Air Date 8-29-25 5: Journalist Exposes Dark Money on the Left - UNFTR Media - Air Date 8-30-25 (00:40:43) #1728 The Lawfare Presidency: The Case of Trump v. Journalism 6: Corporate Media's Surrender to Trump a Wake-up Call for Urgent Reforms Needed to Save Journalism, Democracy - Between The Lines Radio Newsmagazine Podcast - Air Date 7-16-25 7: Trumps War on the Media - Courier - Air Date 7-29-25.mp3 08-01-26-762 8: Trump's Presidential Library Grift. Plus, the Hacker Behind the NYT_s Mamdani Story. - On the Media - Air Date 7-25-25 (01:02:37) #1731 Raw Power, the Presidency, the Courts, and Democracy in the Balance 9: When Unaccountable People Come for Your Vote - Amicus with Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 7-26-25 10: Executive Lawlessness W/ Leah Litman on the Supreme Court Enabling Presidential Overreach Part 1 - The Intercept Briefing - Air Date 7-18-25 PART 2: INSTITUTIONAL DECAY AND CONTROL (01:17:27) #1732 It's Never Just About the Kids (Online Censorship, Age Verification, and the Project 2025 Agenda) 11: Age Verification Will Kill Free Speech Online - Taylor Lorenz - Air Date 6-6-25 12: Can the UK Child-proof the Internet? - Front Burner - Air Date 7-31-25 13: Meet the Creepy Pro-Trump Billionaire Profiting Off of Internet Censorship - The Humanist Report - Air Date 8-7-25 (01:43:50) #1733 The Impossible Promise of Make American Healthy Again: MAHA vs MAGA 14: Despite 'MAHA' Fuss, Truth of Trump Admin's Health Priorities Seen in Drastic Cuts - The Briefing - Air Date 5-23-25 15: The Nutrition Lies We All Fell For Part 1 - Rich Roll - Air Date 8-11-25 16: Dr. Mikes Fight to Save Medicine From RFK Jr. Part 1 - Bulwark Takes - Air Date 8-4-24 (02:04:58) #1730 The Axis of the Dark Personality Triad: Unfit Leaders and the Suffering They Cause 17: The World War II Lessons Trump, Putin, & Netanyahu Actually Learned - Tad Stoermer - Air Date 8-8-25 18: 'Not About Crime': Maddow CRACKS OPEN Trump's Real Motives in Deploying the National Guard to D.C. - The Rachel Maddow Show - Air Date 8-11-25 19: Trump Pushes Forward with Revenge Presidency - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 8-8-25 PART 3: THE WORLD BURNS (02:26:54) #1735 Trump's Making Friends of Enemies and Enemies of Neighbors (Foreign and Domestic Wars) 20: NATO Lost in Ukraine and the West Is In Denial, W Vijay Prashad Part 1 - BreakThrough News - Air Date 8-20-25 21: Trumps National Guard Strategy—Plus, the Secret Behind Huck Finn - Start Making Sense - Air Date 8-27-25 22: Why Are US Warships Going to Venezuela Part 1 - The Take - Air Date 8-28-25 (02:51:27) #1738 Escalations: Russia, Israel, And What We Are Allowed to Say About It 23: Israel Bombs Qatar, Nepal Protests, Russian Drones Enter Polish Airspace - American Prestige - Air Date 9-12-25 24: UK Bans Palestine Action as 'Terror Group' - Mehdi & Owen on Censorship, Silencing of Pro-Palestinian Voices - Two Outspoken - Air Date 7-3-25 25: 'Putin Is Mocking' Trump, Polish Foreign Minister Says After Russian Drone Incursion - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 9-10-25 PART 4: RESISTANCE DESPITE FRAGMENTATION (03:15:52) #1737 State of the Resistance: Labor, Anger, and Knowing That We've Been Here Before 26: While We Were Out An Eye-opening Roundup of Everything We Missed or Wished We Had Over the Past Week - The Bradcast - Air Date 9-2-25 27: What A Raucous Nebraska Town Hall Says About The Country's Mood - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 8-6-25 28: This Is An Invasion - Pritzker, Trump, and the Union Coming Apart + Venezuelan Boat Attack - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 9-5-25 (03:39:51) #1734 Where is the Revolutionary, Anti-Fascist Art? 29: Is Revolutionary Art Possible In The Age Of Trump? - The Majority Report W/ Sam Seder - Air Date 8-17-25 30: On Kennedy Center Stage, Folk Musicians Nora Brown & Stephanie Coleman Protest Trump_s Takeover - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-18-25 Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X

Sep 28, 2025 • 19min
SOLVED! SAMPLE! #23 - ROBBING YOU BLIND: ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ and Mass Consumer Manipulation
Air Date: 9–24-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: Ch. 1 - Intro, and quick follow up on bad satire Ch. 2 - The new culture of ‘buy now pay later’ and how these companies are manipulating the public to normalize the culture of overconsumption Ch. 3 - How companies pass the environmental toll of their products on the public, and the rise of “cute” debt Ch. 4 - The way heavy ‘buy now pay later’ marketing has dramatically changed people’s impression of how they spend their money Ch. 5 - Why poor voters are America’s swing voters and why that’s extremely important right now SOLVED! BACKSTAGE: Beyond the Algorithm: How we should address young boy’s anger FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube (This episode drops on YouTube on Friday - please share!) Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: Buy now, pay later usage for groceries nearly doubles as consumers struggle with food costs - Fox Business Consumers Are Financing Their Groceries. What Does It Say About the Economy? - The New York Times Inside the Manipulative “conspiracy” of consumption - Fast Company The Rise of ‘Cute Debt’ - The Atlantic The ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Bubble Is About to Burst - The Atlantic Poor People Are America’s Swing Voters - Time MEMBERS Child Soldiers - Slate TAKE ACTION: No Kings National Day of Action - Oct. 18th Free DC Project: FOR ALLIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY - Tell Congress to stand down the federal escalation One Million Rising Trainings In a blue state? Help stop ICE overreach Use the 5 Calls app for scripts and to reach all your elected officials Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121

Sep 26, 2025 • 1h 21min
#1526 A History of Political Violence in the US (Throwback)
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. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) 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 - Part 1 - 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: Pelosi Attack Leads to Conspiracies, Obama Crushes GOP - The David Pakman Show - Air Date 10-31-22 Ch. 8: A history of US political violence Part 2 - Americast - Air Date 11-2-22 Ch. 9: Political Violence - In the Thick - Air Date 11-4-22 Ch 10. Today's Republicans were made in the 1990s - Part 2 - The Gray Area with Sean Illing - Air Date 11-7-22

Sep 23, 2025 • 3h 30min
#1739 The Charlie Kirk Assassination and the Plans to Weaponize It
Robert Draper, a journalist who profiled Charlie Kirk, discusses his controversial rise and the impact of his tactics. Cy Cantrell dives into the dangerous intersection of online subcultures and real-world violence through black-pilled accelerationism. Tad Stoermer draws parallels to 1933's Nazi playbook, warning of institutional compliance with extremist narratives. Chris Hedges critiques how Kirk's assassination might fuel authoritarian violence and explore themes of martyrdom within Christian nationalism. The conversation exposes the complexities of right-wing rhetoric and grassroots mobilization.

Sep 22, 2025 • 19min
SOLVED! #22 - The Culture Wars at 10,000 Feet
Air Date: 9–20-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: Ch. 1 - The right-wing’s continued attempts at satire Ch. 2 - Manufactured outrage about male cheerleaders and sorority dances Ch. 3 - How political outsiders always adopt new tech, and how that ties to pushing back against misinformation Ch. 4 - Final thoughts on how when bad actors make gains, there is always a reaction SOLVED! BACKSTAGE: Beyond the Algorithm: The doctor exposing insurance companies’ worst behavior FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube (This episode drops on YouTube on Friday - please share!) Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: America has turned dancing into a culture war - Vox Why America Isn’t Rome (And Why That Matters) - The David Frum Show, The Atlantic A public health expert keeps going viral on Instagram for delivering this very simple message - Vox MEMBERS She Exposed the Insurance Industry’s Worst Behavior. Now They’re Coming After Her. - The Current Affairs EXTRAS Some great public health campaigns Also, Dumb Ways to Die campaign for Melbourne, Australia Metro Trains, which went viral worldwide. TAKE ACTION: No Kings National Day of Action - Oct. 18th Free DC Project: FOR ALLIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY - Tell Congress to stand down the federal escalation One Million Rising Trainings In a blue state? Help stop ICE overreach Use the 5 Calls app for scripts and to reach all your elected officials Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 Find your Indivisible group - or start one Write to the DNC Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening!

Sep 20, 2025 • 3h 29min
#1738 Escalations: Russia, Israel, And What We Are Allowed to Say About It
Air Date 9/20/2025 The escalations are happening so fast now that even though this episode is about Russia increasing tensions by violating NATO airspace in Poland with drones and Israel intensifying their belligerence by bombing inside Qatar, those aren't even the most recent incidents now that Russian jets have entered NATO airspace in Estonia and Israel has launched a new attack on Gaza City while Netanyahu says he wants Israel to become like the doomed city-state of Sparta, which was weird. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Israel Bombs Qatar, Nepal Protests, Russian Drones Enter Polish Airspace - American Prestige - Air Date 9-12-25 KP 2: Qatar Today, Turkey Tomorrow - HasanAbi - Air Date 9-11-25 KP 3: Israels West Bank Annex Underway Jasper Nathaniel - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 9-14-25 KP 4: UK Bans Palestine Action as 'Terror Group' - Mehdi & Owen on Censorship, Silencing of Pro-Palestinian Voices - Two Outspoken - Air Date 7-3-25 KP 5: Recognizing Palestine as a State Meaningful Farce Feat. Dana El Kurd - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 9-11-25 KP 6: Israel Bombs Hamas Leaders in Qatar - Pod Save the World - Air Date 9-9-25 KP 7: 'Putin Is Mocking' Trump, Polish Foreign Minister Says After Russian Drone Incursion - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 9-10-25 (00:58:31) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On Israel as the new Sparta DEEPER DIVES (01:03:11) SECTION A: RUSSIA A1: Aftermath of Russian Drones Being Shot Down Over Poland - DW News - Air Date 9-10-25 A2: Putin Cozies Up To Modi And Xi - What A Day - Air Date 9-3-25 A3: AI and Drone Warfare in Ukraine, 'Trump Riviera' Gaza Plan, US Bombs Venezuelan Boat - American Prestige - Air Date 9-5-25 (01:27:06) SECTION B: QATAR BOMBING B1: Israel Bombs Hamas Leaders in Qatar Part 2 - Pod Save the World - Air Date 9-9-25 B2: Qatar Today, Turkey Tomorrow Part 2 - HasanAbi - Air Date 9-11-25 B3: Israels Qatar Strike We Have to Be Careful When We Attack People - MSNBC Reports - Air Date 9-15-25 B4: Israel Bombs Hamas Leaders in Qatar Part 3 - Pod Save the World - Air Date 9-9-25 B5: After Bombing Qatar, Why Did Israel Strike Yemen - The Take - Air Date 9-15-25 (02:06:29) SECTION C: OTHER GAZA UPDATES C1: Global Sumud Flotilla Vows to Keep Sailing to Gaza Israeli Drones Accused of Striking Two Boats - Democracy Now! - Air Date 9-11-25 C2: Israels Genocide Is Pure Cowardice w/ Jon Elmer - BreakThrough News - Air Date 9-15-25 C3: Recognizing Palestine as a State Meaningful Farce Feat. Dana El Kurd Part 2 - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 9-11-25 C4: AI and Drone Warfare in Ukraine, 'Trump Riviera' Gaza Plan, US Bombs Venezuelan Boat Part 2 - American Prestige - Air Date 9-5-25 C5: Israels Genocide Is Pure Cowardice W Jon Elmer Part 2 - BreakThrough News - Air Date 9-15-25 C6: Israels West Bank Annex Underway Jasper Nathaniel Part 2 - The Majority Report W Sam Seder - Air Date 9-14-25 (02:53:26) SECTION D: UK CRACKDOWN D1: Is Direct Action for Palestine 'terrorism' The UK Says It Is - The Take - Air Date 7-10-25 D2: UK Bans Palestine Action as 'Terror Group' - Mehdi & Owen on Censorship, Silencing of Pro-Palestinian Voices Part 2 - Two Outspoken - Air Date 7-3-25 D3: Is Direct Action for Palestine 'terrorism' The UK Says It Is Part 2 - The Take - Air Date 7-10-25 D4: Protesters Defy Palestine Action Ban Theres No Way They Get Through Everyone - The Guardian - Air Date 9-7-25 SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Photo of protestors holding signs that say “Ceasefire Now” and “Stop the Genocide” Credit: “Free Palestine” by Can Pac Swire, Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Sep 16, 2025 • 3h 32min
#1737 State of the Resistance: Labor, Anger, and Knowing That We've Been Here Before
Air Date 9/16/2025 Between recent Labor Day rallies and Republican Town Hall meetings, we're seeing that resistance to Trump's deeply unpopular policies is alive and well. Plus we're going to look at some historical legacies of resistance movements that can both inform and inspire us today. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) KEY POINTS KP 1: While We Were Out An Eye-opening Roundup of Everything We Missed or Wished We Had Over the Past Week - The Bradcast - Air Date 9-2-25 KP 2: How Labor Unions Shape Society Margaret Levi (re-release) - TED Talks Daily - Air Date 9-1-25 KP 3: This Is An Invasion - Pritzker, Trump, and the Union Coming Apart + Venezuelan Boat Attack - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 9-5-25 KP 4: What A Raucous Nebraska Town Hall Says About The Country's Mood - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 8-6-25 KP 5: Microsoft Is an Active Partner in the Genocide! Inside the Tech Worker Revolt for Palestine - Working People - Air Date 9-4-25 KP 6: Rules for Surviving Authoritarian Times - How to Fix It - Air Date 6-22-25 KP 7: We Are All D.C. Massive Protests Rock US Capital in Defiance of Trump - The Real News Network - Air Date 9-7-25 (00:53:35) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On what our history can tell us about our present political conflict A Senator Just Unapologetically Declared the U.S. a White Homeland DEEPER DIVES (01:03:18) SECTION A: LABOR DAY A1: How Chicago Labor History Teaches Us To Fight Fascism Today - Kat Abughazaleh - Air Date 9-1-25 A2: AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and Other Union Leaders Speak in Los Angeles at Labor Day Event - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 9-1-25 A3: How Chicago Labor History Teaches Us To Fight Fascism Today Part 2 - Kat Abughazaleh - Air Date 9-1-25 A4: How Labor Unions Shape Society Margaret Levi (re-release) Part 2 - TED Talks Daily - Air Date 9-1-25 (01:36:45) SECTION B: PROTESTS B1: Rules for Surviving Authoritarian Times Part 2 - How to Fix It - Air Date 6-22-25 B2: 50 Jewish Activists Arrested Protesting Schumer & Gillibrand for Arming Israel - Democracy Now! - Air Date 8-1-25 B3: The Resistance Vs. Trump 2.0 - Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast - Air Date 7-31-25 B4: Microsoft Is an Active Partner in the Genocide! Inside the Tech Worker Revolt for Palestine Part 2 - Working People - Air Date 9-4-25 (02:08:57) SECTION C: STATE-LEVEL PUSHBACK C1: 'Digital Resistance' Volunteers Push Back Against Deportations Without Due Process - Morning Joe - Air Date 7-31-25 C2: Red-State Farmer Rips Republican At Town Hall - The Majority Report W Sam Seder - Air Date 8-26-25 C3: What A Raucous Nebraska Town Hall Says About The Country's Mood Part 2 - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 8-6-25 C4: Republican Rep Gets Crushed During Town Hall - The Majority Report W Sam Seder - Air Date 9-7-25 C5: Our Top Priority with Rep. Brendan Boyle - The Practivist Pod - Air Date 9-4-25 (02:39:21) SECTION D: LEGACIES OF RESISTANCE D1: Is America Becoming an Autocracy - On the Media - Air Date 8-29-25 D2: Heather Cox Richardson on Donald Trump, MAGA and How We Fight Back - Pod Save America - Air Date 9-7-25 D3: The Resistance Vs. Trump 2.0 Part 2 - Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast - Air Date 7-31-25 D4: Social Problems Require Social Movement Solutions - Economic Update with Richard Wolff - Air Date 9-2-25 D5: Jane Fonda Is Not Backing Down - Fresh Air - Air Date 9-2-25 SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Photo from the Labor Day rally in Boston depicting Sen. Ed Markey, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren holding a “Workers” banner with other participants. Tall, vertical rally flags are held behind them that say “Justice”, “Solidarity,” “Fairness,” “Security,” and “Freedom” Credit: Internal photo. “Boston Labor Day Rally” | Copyright 2025, Best of the Left, All rights reserved. Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Sep 11, 2025 • 3h 38min
#1736 Not the Opposition Party the Country Need Right Now
Air Date 9/11/2025 I've always learned the high-level understanding that the Nazis were partly able to come to power because the opposition at the time was too caught up with infighting to create a coherent resistance. With hindsight, it's easy to lament how badly they miscalculated the circumstances but living through the modern day and watching the Democratic Party struggle gives even more clarity to how that kind of inability to get organized in the face of existential threats to democracy can happen. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Where Is the Party?: Time for Democratic Leaders to ‘Fight with Both Hands’ or ‘Step Aside’ - Velshi - Air Date 8-30-25 KP 2: This Guy, This Line - The Rational National - Air Date 9-2-25 KP 3: How Elites Destroyed the Democratic Party in the US and Fuelled Populism | The Bottom Line - Al Jazeera English -Air Date 8-31-25 KP 4: Desperate Kyle Begs and Pleads With Democrats - The Kyle Kulinski Show - Air Date 8-28-25 KP 5: Ritchie Torres Talks Zionism, LGBT, The Bronx - The Adam Friedland Show - Air Date 8-27-25 KP 6: Journalist Exposes Dark Money on the Left - UNFTR Media - Air Date 8-30-25 (00:50:07) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the murder of Charlie Kirk DEEPER DIVES (01:04:12) SECTION A: DARK MONEY AND THE INFLUENCER WAR (02:01:36) SECTION B: AIPAC, ISRAEL, AND COMPLICITY (02:46:14) SECTION C: MOSTLY WEAK BUT SIGNS OF LIFE SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: A graphic illustration depicting a donkey colored in red and blue, with stars, looking in shock at its shadow on the ground. Credit: “Democratic Donkey Vector and Icon” by Vectorportal.com | CC BY 4.0 Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Sep 7, 2025 • 3h 49min
#1735 Trump's Making Friends of Enemies and Enemies of Neighbors (Foreign and Domestic Wars)
Join Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a champion for progressive change, and Katrina Vanden Heuvel, an expert on U.S.-Russia relations, as they delve into the chaotic political landscape influenced by Trump's provocative policies. They discuss the troubling militarization of law enforcement, the implications of aggressive immigration strategies, and the challenges posed by Trump's geopolitics towards Venezuela and Ukraine. Their insights reveal the urgent need for local resistance and democratic engagement in the face of rising authoritarianism.