Lever Time

Gabriel Sherman, the screenwriter behind the Trump biopic 'The Apprentice,' discusses the hurdles he faced from Trump’s legal threats that left studios hesitant to distribute the film. Joined by Adam McKay, famed for 'The Big Short,' they explore Hollywood’s shift from artists to corporate interests. The duo dives into the film’s nuanced portrayal of Trump and the chilling effect his influence has on politically charged storytelling in today's cinema landscape, highlighting the challenges of producing bold narratives.

The role of Elon Musk in the 2024 election takes center stage, with discussions on his support for Trump and proposed government reforms. The intersection of business and politics raises eyebrows, revealing potential conflicts of interest tied to his government contracts. Moreover, shifting political loyalties among tech moguls reflect their grievances with the Democratic Party and social liberalism, questioning their influence on electoral dynamics.

The podcast dives into the unexpected political shift among labor unions, particularly the Teamsters' refusal to endorse mainstream candidates. It highlights Trump's surprising support from blue-collar voters and the impact of his anti-trade rhetoric. The discussion explores how historical ties between unions and the Democrats are evolving, reshaping political allegiances. Through the lens of working-class identities, the episode examines the dissatisfaction with current political offerings and the potential for new alliances.

David Sirota, an award-winning journalist and former speechwriter for Bernie Sanders, dives deep into Trump’s alarming rhetoric about immigrants, particularly in Aurora, Colorado. He clarifies how local news counters misleading narratives surrounding crime and immigration. The discussion highlights the political implications of fearmongering and its effects on local businesses. Sirota also touches on Project 2025 and its conservative influences, emphasizing the importance of accurate narratives amidst rising political tensions.

Katya Schwenk, a reporter at The Lever, dives into the chemical fire that devastated Conyers, Georgia, revealing shocking regulatory failures. Lucy Dean Stockton, a news editor for The Lever, discusses Hurricane Helene's aftermath in North Carolina, highlighting how policy missteps worsened the disaster. They explore the role of corporate greed in undermining safety regulations, the emotional toll on affected communities, and how outdated policies hinder crucial climate adaptation initiatives.

Vice President Kamala Harris has built a broad coalition that stretches from climate activists to a former oil company CEO, all of them aligned against former President Donald Trump. But if Harris wins in November and Trump’s out of the picture, what happens to this band of strange bedfellows, who frequently find themselves split on core issues like taxation and corporate power? What kind of a mandate will Harris have to lead? And is this arrangement setting her up for a rudderless administration?Today on Lever Time, senior podcast producer Arjun Singh sits down with journalist Ben Bradford, host of the podcast series Landslide, to discuss what happened when Jimmy Carter built a similarly broad coalition in 1976 and ask if the Democrats’ big tent is about to burst. 

In 1971, Lewis Powell, a tobacco industry lawyer and future Supreme Court justice, penned a memo calling on conservatives and business interests to make the nation’s legal system far more friendly to corporate power. A few years later, a lawyer named Michael Horowitz penned a follow-up memo calling for conservatives to indoctrinate generations of lawyers as the right’s foot soldiers on the ground. Today on Lever Time, senior podcast producer Arjun Singh talks to David Sirota and Jared Jacang Maher about their deep-dive investigation into this 50-year plan in the hit new Lever  podcast Master Plan. Then, he sits down with journalist David Daley to discuss his latest book, Antidemocratic: Inside the Far Right's 50-Year Plot to Control American Elections. Daley’s book centers around Chief Justice John Roberts, whose ascent to the high court — and the conservative rulings he’s handed down — was the culmination of decades of work that began with Powell and Horowitz’s memos. 

When Kamala Harris first ran for president in 2019, she promised to deliver Medicare for All to the people — but that changed. Early in her campaign, she frequently referred to a 2017 bill she co-sponsored with Sen. Bernie Sanders that would have effectively abolished private health insurance. But when political winds didn’t look good, Harris changed course, and ultimately released her own, very different version of the bill, which sought to bolster and support private insurance companies by expanding their role in Medicare. It wouldn’t be the only time Harris bucked a campaign pledge for political gain. Today on Lever Time, senior podcast producer Arjun Singh looks at two defining moments in Harris’ career to understand how the presidential hopeful acts when forced to choose between the values she campaigned on and political gain.In her current campaign, Harris has tried to play it safe. She’s consistently pushed the Biden administration’s agenda while remaining vague on how she’d respond to key issues. One of those issues has been how to handle Israel’s invasion of Gaza, a disaster that Harris will likely inherit if she wins the presidency. If so, the Gaza crisis will present one of the first tests of what a President Harris would do in office, but even close observers are unsure what the vice president ultimately believes is the best course of action on the matter.

In television commercials, at speeches, and on the campaign trail, Vice President Kamala Harris frequently boasts that she stood up to big banks as California's attorney general. But her sloganeering obscures a sometimes-ugly record. Today on Lever Time, Arjun Singh looks back at Harris' early years as a district attorney and then state attorney general to see what they show us about the president she may soon become.When Harris first ran for District Attorney of San Francisco in 2003 — a time when prosecutors rarely described themselves as “progressive” — she campaigned as a crime fighter with few qualms about putting criminals behind bars. Later, as California’s attorney general, Harris continued to lean on her role as a tough prosecutor, vowing to go after mortgage lenders who utilized abusive tactics to strong arm Californians. But when it came time to fight the banks, did Harris let them off easy? Harris’ actions in that moment have left some observers with a pressing question: What does Kamala Harris actually believe?

David Sirota, a reporter tackling the intersection of politics and corporate influence, shares his insights from the Democratic National Convention. He reveals the fear among Democrats of a Trump resurgence and critiques the gap between their populist rhetoric and corporate sponsorship. Sirota discusses the challenges Vice President Kamala Harris faces in delivering worker-centric policies amidst corporate pressures. The conversation dives into the disconnect between activists' frustrations and the party's corporate ties, spotlighting the deep-rooted tensions within the political landscape.