InfluenceWatch Podcast

Are prominent environmentalist groups working on behalf of foreign powers—and wouldn’t that mean they have to declare it under the Foreign Agents Registration Act? That is the question that Senator Ted Cruz (Republican of Texas) and Representative James Comer (Republican of Kentucky and chairman of the House Oversight Committee) are asking in light of some groups’ penchant for criticizing the United States while going easy on the People’s Republic of China. Joining me to discuss these concerns are my colleague Sarah Lee and Kevin Mooney, who wrote about Cruz and Comer’s questioning for the Daily Signal.Links: EXCLUSIVE: Ted Cruz Wants Answers on Left-Wing Actors Who May Violate Foreign Agent Registration ActNatural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)Follow us on our Socials:Twitter: @capitalresearchInstagram: @capitalresearchcenterFacebook: www.facebook.com/capitalresearchcenterYouTube: @capitalresearchcenter

Since 2018, Big Philanthropy has offered great praise for one particular politician without an office to hold: Stacey Abrams, the Georgia Democrat who claimed her 2018 loss in an election for governor was marred by improprieties. Her claims of supposed “voter suppression” brought millions from liberal foundations and mega-donors into the nonprofit voter registration group she founded, New Georgia Project, and directorships at prominent left-wing groups like the Center for American Progress and Marguerite Casey Foundation. But now Politico, the trade newspaper for D.C. political types, has released a long expose on poor management and financial practices at New Georgia Project when it was flush with cash following Abrams’s loss. Joining me to discuss these developments are my colleagues Parker Thayer and Sarah Lee.Links:Voting group founded by Abrams, once led by Warnock, faces financial scrutinyThe New Georgia ProblemREPORT: How Charities Secretly Help Win ElectionsInfluenceWatch: Stacey AbramsInfluenceWatch: New Georgia ProjectGeorge Soros’ Open Society Nixes $67 Million Proposal from National Latino Groups Leaving 2024 Funding Uncertain (Exclusive)Follow us on our Socials:Twitter: @capitalresearchInstagram: @capitalresearchcenterFacebook: www.facebook.com/capitalresearchcenterYouTube: @capitalresearchcenter

Scott Walter, an expert in liberal journalism, joins the podcast to discuss the ‘Press Forward’ initiative by the MacArthur Foundation, aiming to align local news with a left-wing agenda. The discussion explores the challenges of permanent foundations, the power of leftist billionaires, funding liberal journalism and smearing Supreme Court justices, and the left's struggle to find an audience in America.

Since the horrific Hamas terrorist massacres in southern Israel in early October, American observers have been horrified by something that really should not be happening: Mass marches of left-wing students expressing solidarity with the “Palestinian cause,” if not the Hamas regime that perpetrated the attacks itself. But a close analysis of the ideological currents in academia should have warned us that something like what we have seen on campus would, in fact, come to pass. Joining me to discuss these developments are my colleague Sarah Lee and Jay P. Greene of the Heritage Foundation.Links: No One Should Be Surprised By The Depraved Radicalism On College CampusesFormer Campus Radicals Now Teach Your ChildrenHamas’s American Allies: Far-Left SupportersWhy Are Some Social Justice Unionists Backing the Palestinians?Paying for Hate on College CampusesFollow us on our Socials:Twitter: @capitalresearchInstagram: @capitalresearchcenterFacebook: www.facebook.com/capitalresearchcenterYouTube: @capitalresearchcenter

Guest Robert Stilson discusses the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and their radical agenda, exploring their evolution, influence in academia, and affinity for authoritarian regimes. The podcast covers the growth of the DSA through supporting Bernie Sanders and the impact of Trump's and Ocasio-Cortez's elections. It also highlights the DSA's focus on defunding the police and their anti-Israel stance.

Ryan Mauro, an expert on terror funding and movements of terror cells, joins the podcast to discuss his articles on terror funding. Topics include the Biden administration's transfer to Iran, money behind pro-Palestinian protests, cut ties with payment processors, and the link between Samadoon and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

The Arabella Advisors-managed network of liberal dark money groups is facing scrutiny, including a subpoena from the D.C. Attorney General and allegations of ties to a disgraced cryptocurrency trader's father. The podcast discusses Arabella's role in running payroll activities for left-wing nonprofits, its significant fundraising, and its intermediation between different organizations. It also explores the skepticism surrounding Arabella's alleged philanthropy and its connections to partisan actors. The discussion includes revelations about Sam Bankman Freed's dad and a lawsuit involving FTX. The podcast dives into the investigations and allegations against Arabella, including civil litigation and bankruptcy litigation. The conversation highlights concerns about hidden motives, the left's use of dark money, and efforts to reform the nonprofit sector.

The United Auto Workers union has called rolling strikes against the Detroit Three automakers—Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler) since mid-September. The labor action, and other strikes including the strikes that have struck Hollywood films and television, have rekindled debate over the proper role and powers of organized labor in the United States. Joining me to discuss these topics are my colleague Parker Thayer and Dominic Pino, the Thomas L. Rhodes Fellow at National Review Institute.Links: What to Make of American Compass’s “New Conservative Voter”Organized Labor Is Progressivism and Progressivism Is Organized LaborRepublicans: The UAW Will Never Love YouFollow us on our Socials: Twitter: @capitalresearchInstagram: @capitalresearchcenterFacebook: www.facebook.com/capitalresearchcenterYouTube: @capitalresearchcenter

Hugo Krueger, a nuclear engineer, discusses the challenges faced by nuclear engineers, the geopolitical aspect of energy, and the impact of foundations on nuclear energy policies in different countries. The podcast also explores the legal battle over oil and gas exploration in South Africa, the influence of foundations on gun regulations, and the dynamics of the anti-nuclear movement in France.

Controversy over the name of the Washington football team and the influence of left-wing activists. Funding sources of Native American groups involved. The funding and tactics of the extinction rebellion movement. The debate between protecting the environment and eliminating humans. Motivations behind funding movements like defunding the police and the growing influence of public policy charities.