Lever Time

On this week’s episode of Lever Time: In light of the recent breakthrough in nuclear fusion technology, David Sirota sits down with UK plasma physicist Dr. Arthur Turrell to learn about this “holy grail” of scientific research. Could nuclear fusion be deployed to combat the climate crisis, and how long would it take to do so (8:37)? If you'd like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber.If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjarA rough transcript of this episode is available here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David Sirota is joined by New York Times global economics correspondent Peter S. Goodman to explore why President Biden and the Democrats chose to side with railroad barons by forcing rail workers to accept a contract they had already rejected. They also dig into why the rail workers’ demand for additional paid sick days became such a sticking point in negotiations, and what a potential rail strike could mean for the U.S. economy (6:24).Then, The Lever’s Julia Rock sits down with journalist and filmmaker Blake Zeff to discuss his new documentary Loan Wolves, which details the history of America’s student debt crisis, which politicians are to blame, and how student debt has impacted Americans across the country (30:24). If you'd like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber.If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjarA rough transcript of this episode is available here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of Lever Time: Andrew Perez sits down with Lindsay Owens, executive director of the progressive think tank Groundwork Collaborative, to talk about why the upcoming fight in Congress over the debt ceiling is so pivotal. Owens explains how inflation will play a role in the negotiations, and discusses whether or not President Joe Biden will allow the conflict to be used as an excuse to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits (7:32). Then, David Sirota is joined by comedy legend David Cross, known for his roles in Mr. Show and Arrested Development and one of the most subversive comedians of the modern era. The two Davids discuss the state of modern comedy, the debate around cancel culture and free speech, and what is the most constructive way to make fun of people you disagree with (25:46). Finally, for this week’s bonus segment, David speaks with journalist and author Geoff Dembicki about his new book The Petroleum Papers: Inside the Far-Right Conspiracy to Cover Up Climate Change, which details the how the fossil fuel industry has spent the last several decades spreading disinformation about climate science (1:05:09). If you'd like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber.If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjarA rough transcript of this episode is available here.groundworkcollaborative.orgofficialdavidcross.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David Sirota discusses one of the country’s first-ever dark money disclosure laws passed during the recent midterms — Arizona Proposition 211 — and speaks with former Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, who has spent the better part of the last decade fighting to get the law passed (4:37). Then, David is joined by Jordan Uhl, who has been covering last week’s Ticketmaster debacle in which thousands of Taylor Swift fans learned the hard way what happens when antitrust law isn’t enforced. The two were also joined by Max Collins, frontman for the rock band Eve 6, who has firsthand experience with the abusive practices of the giant corporations that now control the music industry (25:46).Finally, for this week’s bonus segment, David sits down with former U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Gary Hart for a long-form conversation about the evolution of American politics since the late 1980s, and his new book about saving American democracy (52:11). A rough transcript of this episode is available here.If you'd like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber.If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of Lever Time: Progressive candidates win big! First, Producer Frank chats with The Lever’s Jordan Uhl about his takeaways from attending a recent Congressional Progressive Caucus event welcoming eleven new members of the House Democrats’ progressive wing (6:49). Then, David Sirota discusses the recent implosion of the cryptocurrency market following the collapse of the FTX exchange and resignation of its CEO. David is joined by journalist and crypto policy expert Jacob Silverman, as well as director of research at the American Economic Liberties Project Matt Stoller, who explain the crypto debacle, why regulators were asleep at the wheel, and what should be done to fix the problem (26:09).If you'd like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber.If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjarA rough transcript of this episode is available here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of Lever Time: It’s the day after the midterm elections! David Sirota and The Lever’s entire reporting staff break down all the key takeaways, including the big progressive wins, the stunning MAGA losses, the victories for abortion rights, the surprising exit poll data, and the important ballot measures that passed (4:57). Then, David is joined by Krystal Ball, co-host of Breaking Points, for a big-picture conversation about the election results. David and Krystal discuss shifting electoral trends, what the next two years of Biden’s presidency might look like, and what it all could mean for the 2024 presidential election (34:24). If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjarA rough transcript of this episode is available here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this bonus episode of Lever Time: David Sirota is on the campaign trail tracking key Pennsylvania races in the lead-up to next week’s midterms. First, David interviews Summer Lee, the Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district. David speaks with Summer about the flood of money that has been spent against her, first in the Democratic primary and now in the general election (:47).Then, David sits down with Josh Shapiro, the Democratic nominee for governor of Pennsylvania. David asks Josh about the future of fracking in the state, his running mate Austin Davis, his history as corporate prosecutor, and the pressure he feels running against Republican Doug Mastriano, who is a full-blown election denier (11:21). If you'd like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber.If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever, click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjarA rough transcript of this episode is available here.https://summerforpa.com/https://joshshapiro.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David Sirota is joined by Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, who also serves as the chair of the Democratic Secretaries of State Association. David and Jena discuss the slate of election-denying Republican candidates who are running to oversee their state’s elections, and why the results of this year’s secretaries of state races are so vital (7:46). Then, David and Andrew Perez sit down with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) to talk about his new book, The Scheme: How the Right Wing Used Dark Money to Capture the Supreme Court, and what’s next in the battle to end dark money — like the $1.6 billion secret donation we exposed — in politics (30:10).If you'd like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber.If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjarA rough transcript of this episode is available here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David Sirota is joined by MSNBC host Chris Hayes for a deep-dive discussion on this year’s midterm elections, the responsibility of the media in covering unprecedented threats to democracy, and what it’s like being the lead anchor of one of the country’s largest cable news networks (6:27). Then, David sits down with journalist and author Anand Giridharadas to talk about his new book, The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy, and how the art of persuasion is one of the most powerful — yet neglected — tools for overcoming the extreme polarization of modern politics (50:57).If you'd like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber.If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjarA rough transcript of this episode is available here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David Sirota is joined by The Lever’s reporters Julia Rock and Rebecca Burns to discuss recent news, including a climate protest that made international headlines for dousing a Van Gogh painting in tomato soup (4:38), and a sketchy financial bait-and-switch by Microchip giant Intel (9:00). Julia and Rebecca also break down their massive stories on Republican Senate candidate Ted Budd, who during his terms as a Congressman has helped his donors bypass predatory lending laws, and helped facilitate the merger of two giant banks, all while collecting mountains of cash from the financial industry (12:56). Then, David sits down with Melissa Jacoby, one of the foremost experts on bankruptcy law, for a deep dive on how corporations abuse the bankruptcy system to shield themselves from liability, while real people are afforded none of the same protections (27:41).If you'd like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber.If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjarA rough transcript of this episode is available here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices