Lever Time

Tim Walz, Minnesota governor, former teacher, and Army National Guard veteran, reflects on Democrats’ 2024 defeat and the stakes of the 2026 midterms. He discusses lost working-class voters, Gaza, the Liz Cheney outreach, economic messaging, coalition-building, corruption, fraud in social programs, and the urgent priorities of housing, healthcare, and childcare.

A new series explores how social change really happens beyond the headlines. Hear candid conversations with organizers and people working on the ground to build lasting change, confront urgent issues, and turn collective action into meaningful progress.

Alex Gibney, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind Enron and Going Clear, investigates Elon Musk’s transformation from tech visionary to Trump ally. He examines Musk’s founder mythology, Tesla’s self-driving safety controversies, AI ambitions, political spending, government influence, and control over public discourse. They also discuss why employees stay silent and why promoting the documentary proved so difficult.

Sam Wang, Princeton neuroscience professor and founder of the Princeton Gerrymandering Project, and Jonathan Rodden, Stanford political scientist and author of Why Cities Lose, examine why the 2026 midterms may hinge on redistricting. They explore competing definitions of fair maps, urban-rural geography, voting rights, computational map analysis, independent commissions, proportional representation, and how gerrymandering affects competition and accountability.

Cal Newport, Georgetown computer science professor and bestselling author of Deep Work, examines AI’s less obvious dangers. He explores cognitive surrender, approval bombing, and the pseudo-productivity of endless emails and meetings. Newport also considers useful AI applications, the ideology behind frontier development, and how to build stronger minds and skills before embracing new tools.

Antitrust lawyer Lee Hepner and former FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya examine the settlement clearing Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion Warner Bros. Discovery takeover. They unpack the deal’s weak behavioral promises, political pressure behind California’s decision, and uncertain protections for jobs. They also explore fewer films, mass layoffs, shrinking independent voices, and the future of CNN, CBS News, and media concentration.

The AI apocalypse is here, but it’s not what you think. Last week, former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon warned online that “the people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.” The fallout sent shockwaves across the country — but how legitimate is Coxon’s warning? Should we fear AI agents going rogue and threatening humanity, or are these safety concerns a cover for something even more ominous on the horizon?  Today on Lever Time, David Sirota sits down with two of the most astute observers of this situation: tech critic Ed Zitron and Matt Stoller of the American Economic Liberties Project, to discuss why something feels off about this latest wave of AI panic. Editor’s note: An uncut video of this interview was published earlier this week, exclusively to our paid subscribers. ⁠Upgrade now⁠ to gain full and early access to all The Lever has to offer.  Check out Zitron’s newsletter, Where’s Your Ed At, and his podcast, Better Offline. Read Stoller’s essay about the recent AI panic and check out his newsletter, BIG. Get ad-free episodes, bonus content and extended interviews by becoming a member at levernews.com/join. To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan Osborn, a Navy veteran, industrial mechanic, and labor leader, rose to prominence after leading Kellogg’s workers through a 77-day strike. He discusses his independent Senate campaign, Nebraska’s Republican stronghold, and the failures of two-party politics. The conversation explores unions, billionaire influence, immigration, data centers, healthcare monopolies, and whether working-class populism can reshape Washington.

Troy Jackson, a fifth-generation Maine logger and former state Senate president, takes aim at Susan Collins’ long winning streak. He discusses why Democrats keep losing rural voters, the appeal of economic populism, Medicare for All, and Graham Platner’s supporters. Jackson also explains why Collins’ ties to Donald Trump, abortion rights, healthcare, and affordability could finally put her career on the chopping block.

Katya Schwenk, investigative reporter who helped expose donor networks, and Luke Goldstein, co-reporter on billionaire-funded Democratic influence. They trace a new billionaire-backed political apparatus, unpack links between donors’ investments and policy priorities, and map how coordinated candidate selection and messaging aim to reshape primaries nationwide.